*Mnangagwa reiterates his Law School training claim in Zambia alongside late president Lungu* ___________________________________ `June 14, 2025` ___________________________________ > *Follow The Voice Online News WhatsApp channel:* https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaPRQqTHrDZdGRK5yH43 ___________________________________ > *Share The Voice Online News WhatsApp group link:* https://chat.whatsapp.com/DjU5F7Goh3M6M4XSkg81Gx ___________________________________ > *To advertise with The Voice Online News, talk to us here:* https://wa.me/message/PLR6ANGW2RX4I1 ___________________________________ PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has claimed a shared history with the late former Zambian President Edgar Lungu, asserting they were contemporaries at law school. Speaking at the Zambian Embassy on Thursday, where he signed the Book of Condolences following Lungu’s passing, Mnangagwa insisted on a connection stretching back to his student days. “We were students together at law school. There is a lot of history between me and him and several other Zambians, I did my education in Zambia, of course he was junior,” Mnangagwa stated. However, this assertion has been met with scepticism, with critics quick to point to what they perceive as a series of legal missteps made by the President since assuming office in November 2017. These alleged blunders have fuelled doubts about the extent of Mnangagwa’s legal knowledge and background. Examples cited include early constitutional gaffes, such as ministerial appointments made outside the bounds of Parliament. The public was obliged to remind him of his overreach, forcing him to rescind his decisions. Further scrutiny arose when, during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, in 2018, Mnangagwa appeared to announce the 2018 elections for May, a date predating the constitutional earliest possible polling day of July 23, 2018. Adding fuel to the fire, shortly after taking office, Mnangagwa issued an ultimatum to those accused of externalising US dollars and assets, demanding they return the loot or face prosecution. This was despite the absence of any Zimbabwean law criminalising such activity at the time, a move widely interpreted as a significant oversight. These early missteps have left many questioning the President’s legal “prowess.” Despite the President’s assertion, critics remain unconvinced. They point to a lack of tangible evidence, noting the absence of photographs or verifiable accounts from alleged classmates to support the claim of a shared legal education. The claim, they argue, rests solely on Mnangagwa’s “oral tradition.” Despite the controversy, Mnangagwa further described Lungu as a leader of “foresight” in terms of development and said his passing represented a significant loss not only for Zambia but for the region as a whole. “We have lost one of our illustrious leaders he was committed not only to Zambia but to the rest of the region he was one of us he was a man who had foresight in terms of development and collaboration between several countries,” he said. Lungu lost the Zambian elections to Hakainde Hichilema in August 2021. He has since reportedly enjoyed a close relationship with Zanu PF, with some suggesting Mnangagwa’s party was funding a potential comeback bid in Zambia’s 2026 elections, a claim both parties vehemently denied.