U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the Conversation With the Women of America panel at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on Jan. 16, 2018. (Xinhua/Ting Shen)

HARARE, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe has denounced the United States President Donald Trump's alleged utterances describing African states as "shithole" countries.

In a statement published by The Herald Wednesday, the Zimbabwean foreign ministry said such comments were hurtful and prejudicial and did not have a place in modern times.

It said the words attributed to the Trump earlier this month "has shocked and dismayed us."

"The USA is a prominent country of which the world expects the best example in its projections of democratic values, commitment to the fight against bigotry, upholding the civil rights of all of its people and generosity towards the less fortunate countries in the world."

The Zimbabwean government said it joined fellow African countries and others in rejecting "this unfortunate characterization of our peoples and countries".

U.S. media reported that during an Oval Office meeting on immigration, Trump described Africa, together with Haiti and El Salvador, as "shithole countries" supplying undesirable immigrants to the United States.

The demeaning comments, which Trump has since denied, has received broad condemnation from across the globe.