Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema will not attend the extraordinary Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit set to address the Mozambique post-election crisis and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) conflict.
Instead, Foreign Affairs Minister Mulambo Haimbe will represent Zambia at the meeting.
“The President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, will be represented by Hon. Mulambo Haimbe, SC, M.P. Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation at the Extraordinary Summit of SADCHeads of State and Government in Harare, Zimbabwe, which is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, 20th November, 2024,” read a statement released by Zambia’s Foreign Affairs ministry.
This marks Hichilema’s second absence from a SADC summit following his virtual participation in the August gathering where Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa assumed the bloc’s chairmanship.
On that occasion, Haimbe also stood in for the Zambian leader, fueling speculation about tensions between the two presidents. Notably, Hichilema recently attended Botswana’s presidential inauguration in person.
At the August summit, Hichilema presented his final report as the outgoing chair of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation virtually.
Analysts suggest his absence may stem from strained relations with Mnangagwa, linked to a SADC observer mission report led by Hichilema’s appointee, former Zambian Vice President Nevers Mumba. The report criticized Zimbabwe’s 2023 elections, a stance that reportedly angered Mnangagwa.
Further tension arose in June when Mnangagwa, during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, accused Zambia of collaborating with the United States to isolate Zimbabwe.
While Mnangagwa’s spokesperson, George Charamba, claimed the remarks were off-the-record, they amplified the rift, with Mnangagwa portraying Zambia as a potential regional security threat.
Of the 16 heads of state invited to the summit, only four have so far confirmed their attendance: Botswana’s President Duma Boko, outgoing Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, DRC President Félix Tshisekedi, and Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina. Eswatini’s King Mswati III will also be present.
Notable absentees include South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Angolan President João Lourenço.
Ramaphosa will be presented by his deputy Paul Mashatile.
President Mnangagwa and his ZANU-PF party continue to face allegations of meddling in regional elections, accusations they have repeatedly denied.
