Only Authorised Voices Speak for Zimbabwe Abroad, Warns Murwira

By Kudzaishe Chimonera

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister, Professor Amon Murwira has warned that the country’s foreign policy can only be articulated through authorised state channels highlighting that individual opinions including those expressed in the media or on social platforms do not amount to official positions.

Addressing journalists attending a Diplomatic Training Programme at the Zimbabwe Foreign Service Institute (ZFSI), Prof Murwira said diplomacy is firmly anchored at state level and driven by national interests rather than personal viewpoints.

“In our international interactions, diplomacy assumes nations. It assumes states. State-to-state communication is what we are talking about,” he said.

While acknowledging citizens’ constitutional right to free expression, the minister cautioned against conflating commentary with policy warning that unauthorised statements on international affairs risk confusing foreign partners and misrepresenting Zimbabwe.

“People may comment, speculate, and express opinions but unless the Minister of Foreign Affairs has spoken, no nation will take that as Zimbabwe’s position,” Murwira said.

He said such misrepresentation could undermine Zimbabwe’s core national interests including peace and security, economic development and social cohesion.

The minister underlined that Zimbabwe’s foreign policy direction is led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in his capacity as Head of State and Government.

“The president occupies a unique position. He had no colleague within Zimbabwe. His peers are other Heads of State across the world,” he said.

Prof Murwira added that the Foreign Affairs Minister speaks on behalf of the President and must strictly adhere to that mandate.

“You cannot speak what the President has not spoken. Your word is taken as the word of the President to the international community,” he said.

He described diplomacy as a country’s first line of defence arguing that words used on the international stage can have far-reaching consequences.

“Peace is built by diplomacy. War is caused by the lack of diplomacy,” he said.

While reaffirming the media’s right to analyse and comment on public affairs, the minister urged journalists to clearly separate opinion from official government policy.

“You are allowed to write. You are allowed to think. But do not mistake speculation for Zimbabwe’s diplomatic position,” he said.