Zambian women crush on Botswana’s President, Mnangagwa’s dramatic accent leaves crowd in stitches
THERE was a chorus of “my man, my man” from some Zambian women, especially Gen Zs, who attended President Hakainde Hichilema’s inauguration yesterday, as Botswana’s charismatic President Duma Boko made his entrance into the packed National Heroes Stadium.
The moment President Boko stepped out of his vehicle, some women hardly contained their excitement.
“My crush!”
“My man, my man!”
“Our very own!”
Those were some of the playful shouts that rang out from sections of the stadium as the youthful looking Botswana leader who looks like a tourist attraction made his way to his seat.
Beyond his looks, the Harvard educated human rights lawyer is celebrated for his deep, commanding voice and articulate public speaking skills.
Despite the heavy crushing from admirers across the country, President Boko remains happily married to his wife, First Lady Kaone Boko who is also a highly accomplished lawyer.
But while some women were busy salivating over President Boko, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa commanded the attention of the stadium for a completely different reason.
President Mnangagwa took to the podium and began delivering his speech in a slow, measured cadence which swept the crowd into uncontrollable laughter.
As he stretched some words and placed strong emphasis on his pronunciation, laughter was heard from sections of the crowd, with some spectators joking about his accent and the way he pronounced certain words with exaggerated emphasis.
Social media users who were watching the live precedings on Kalemba were equally entertained and they commented as follows:
“The spirit of Levy Patrick Mwanawasa possessed him at that particular moment,” one person joked.
“The accent that went to a Zambian school.”
“Why is he reading in capital letters?” another asked, laughing.
Others could not help but wonder whether the Zimbabwean leader speaks in the same manner in his everyday conversations
.
Unlike his predecessor Robert Mugabe, who was known for speaking English with a distinct British schooled inflection, Mnangagwa possesses a more localised, African accent and a slower, heavily articulated cadence.
By Catherine Pule
September 2, 2026