PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa’s protocol department was involved in an embarrassing diplomatic boob after failing to play the Russian national anthem during the handover of 48 000 tonnes of wheat and fertiliser in Harare on Wednesday, this week.
This comes less than two weeks after the team was warned by President Mnangagwa for playing a “bad” version of Zimbabwe’s national anthem at a function he was presiding over.
Diplomatic etiquette demands that both national anthems be played before the event or ceremony commenced, but the Russian national anthem was forgotten.
Russian ambassador to Zimbabwe, Nikolay Krasilnikov was not amused and requested that it be played at the end of the event, departing from the norm.
“I thank you very much for the kind attention … I hope to end the ceremony by listening to the Russian national anthem. I thank you” ambassador Krasilnikov said.
In panic mode, only the Russian national anthem was, however, played at the end, further messing things up since all two national anthems should have been played.
