President Emerson Mnangagwa and his political rival Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) Monday scrambled to congratulate re-elected French President Emmanuel with messages suggesting the two are ready to engage France.
Macron survived a tough runoff with a longtime rival, Marine Le Pen to retain the presidency.
Soon after the results were announced, President Mnangagwa posted on his Twitter handle congratulating the French President, while alleging the two are good friends.
“Congratulations to my good friend President Emmanuel Macron on your historic re-election. The future is bright for French –Zimbabwe relations, Mnangagwa said.
This is despite the fact that France is one of the several European nations that imposed economic sanctions on Zimbabwe.
Not to be outdone, Chamisa, who is the same age as Macron, recognized the French President’s win while paying attention to his age.
“Congratulation to the 44-Year-old Emmanuel Macron on this historic re-election. This is such an inspiration and reminder to all the young people across the world that it’s doable. Going forward, France is a strategic ally and a key player in addressing global challenges,” Chamisa said.
The Zimbabwean opposition leader became the youngest opposition candidate in the 2018 elections but lost to Mnangagwa.
The CCC leader appeals to a younger generation of Zimbabweans who have had a torrid time under the ZanuPF leadership which has been in power for 42 years.
He is widely tipped to win the 2023 elections as he commands a large following among the millions of disgruntled Zimbabweans.
