HARARE – President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday expressed “shock” and “revulsion” at the attempted assassination of former United States president Donald Trump.
Mnangagwa has written to US president Joseph Biden condemning the “cowardly attack” and offering his heartfelt sympathy.
“Zimbabwe followed the news of the attack on the former United States of America president and presumptive Republican Party presidential candidate, Mr. Donald Trump, with shock and revulsion,” Mnangagwa said in the letter which was shared with the media by his spokesman.
“On behalf of the government and people of the Republic of Zimbabwe, and indeed on my own behalf, I wish to extend to you my heartfelt sympathy and condemnation of the cowardly attack, which also led to loss of life.”
Trump, during a weekend campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, was the target of an attempted assassination.
The incident occurred shortly after Trump had begun speaking. Video footage of the incident shows several shots being fired and Trump quickly seeking cover behind his lectern, while Secret Service agents rapidly moved to shield him.
One rally attendee died while shielding his family from stray bullets. The would-be assassin, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was swiftly neutralised and fatally shot in the head by snipers.
Mnangagwa himself survived an attempted assassination on June 23, 2018, when a grenade exploded at White City Stadium in Bulawayo just after he had finished giving a speech at a Zanu PF campaign rally.
Although Mnangagwa was unharmed, two security agents later died of their injuries, and at least 49 people were injured, including his deputies Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi and other high-ranking government officials.
Relations between Zimbabwe and the United States remain frosty. Mnangagwa, his wife Auxillia, Chiwenga, and defence minister Oppah Muchinguri are on a travel blacklist to the US and also subject to financial sanctions.
