Organisers of a summit for first ladies set for the United Kingdom are under pressure to reconsider first lady Auxillia Mnangagwa’s participation following protests by exiled Zimbabweans.
Mnangagwa, who is also a Zanu PF politburo member, is one of the speakers billed to feature at the First Ladies African Impact & Recilence (Flair) Summit in London between June 16 and 18.
Her appearance on the list of speakers was greeted with scorn by Zimbabweans in UK, most who say they were forced to flee home because of Zanu PF policies.
The diasporans have been lobbying the organisers to reconsider their invitation to Mnangagwa and a leading British parliamentarian has withdrawn from summit after Zimbabweans approached her office.
Brent East MP Dawn Buttler’s office said she was unaware that she had been listed as one of the speakers at the conference alongside Zimbabwe’s first lady.
She had neither received an invitation nor agreed to participate at the event, despite the summit official website indicating that she was a key speaker, her office said.
Sources said the organisers will convene an emergency meeting tomorrow to deliberate on whether Mnangagwa should remain part of the indaba or be persuaded to pull out.
“An emergency crisis meeting will be held on Monday to decide on whether the Zimbabwean first lady should remain part of the meeting following widespread concerns,” an informed source said.
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Although Flair co-founder Yvonne Thompson was not picking calls to confirm the developments, an insider told The Standard that protests by Zimbabweans against Mnangagwa’s presence had complicated issues for the organisers.
Those against her trip to the UK cite the government’s human rights record and ongoing political repression in Zimbabwe.
Some activists also took exception to the fact President Emmerson Mnangagwa is accused by political opponents of various transgressions that include mis-governance and presiding over a corrupt administration.
Zimbabweans said the first lady's association with a government accused of human rights abuses, corruption, and repression made her participation incompatible with the summit’s stated values.
A Zimbabwean in the UK said it was sad that “Mnangagwa masquerades as patron-elect for this Flair Summit, a clear sign that, like her Angel of Hope in Zimbabwe.”
According to the Flair website, Mnangagwa was chosen as the patron of the summit but does not say when she was elected or who elected her.
“As patron elect, I am committed to supporting the goals of the Flair Summit strategy, Africa, in particular, holds immense potential,”” the Zimbabwean first lady says in a statement published on the website.
“By investing in the empowerment of women, we are unlocking a significant part of this potential.
“Women are the backbone of our communities; their empowerment leads to stronger, more resilient societies.
“When women thrive, everyone benefits including families, communities, and nations,”
The summit is expected to be attended by first ladies from Africa.
The indaba is meant to celebrate women who lead with compassion, integrity, and courage, something critics said was the opposite of what Zanu PF was doing on the ground.
The forum was formed by the diaspora women leaders to collaborate with the women back home for the well-being of society.
