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Protesters in bid to stop Mnangagwa wife's UK visit
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Protests have broken out across the United Kingdom in a bid to block Zimbabwe's First Lady, Auxillia Mnangagwa, from attending a high-level African first ladies summit scheduled for next month in London.
The planned visit to the First Ladies of African Impact & Resilience (FLAIR) Summit - a forum promoting collaboration on resilience, impact and climate action - has triggered widespread outrage within Zimbabwe's diaspora community, who accuse the First Lady of representing a regime responsible for human rights abuses and political repression.
The protests, spearheaded by the Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisation (ZHRO), began in Stockton-on-Tees and have spread rapidly to cities including Coventry, Leicester, Leeds, Peterlee, Brighton, Durham, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, and beyond.
Demonstrators, carrying placards and chanting anti-regime slogans, urged British Members of Parliament and local council leaders to act swiftly - including tabling a parliamentary motion - to block Mnangagwa's entry into the UK, stressing that the summit is not a UN-sanctioned event.
"There is no justification for allowing Auxillia Mnangagwa to parade on international platforms while her government jails journalists and silences dissent," said one protester.
"Her visit is an insult to victims of State brutality."
Prominent voices at the demonstrations included Shamiso Moyo, Nobukhosi Dube, Dickson Chikwizo, Shepherd Yuda, John Burke, Josephine Jenje Mudimu, Panashe Sivindani, and others, including 2020 NUST lone protester now based in the US. The protestors condemned Zimbabwe's Patriot Act 2023, which they say criminalises dissent and targets diaspora activists.
The protests coincided with World Press Freedom Day, amplifying calls for the release of detained Heart & Soul TV journalist Blessed Mhlanga, who protesters say is a clear example of the Mnangagwa government's crackdown on press freedom.
"Our lives are at risk simply for speaking out," said another protester, referencing threats and digital surveillance by suspected Zimbabwean state agents.
Social media posts from the UK protests have reportedly drawn attention from Zimbabwean authorities, who are allegedly considering investigations into the demonstrators - a move that has sparked fears of retribution against family members back home.
Meanwhile, UK Parliamentarian Lord Jonny Oates weighed in on the controversy last week, urging fellow lawmakers attending the summit to challenge Mnangagwa on the detention of journalists and allegations of state-sponsored brutality.
"I note that the President's wife is due to speak at a summit in London in June and I hope that members of our Parliament who are choosing to take part will challenge Zimbabwe's first lady on the continued detention of Blessed Mhlanga and the overall brutality of the regime that she represents," Oates said.
ZHRO has vowed to sustain pressure on British authorities and summit organisers until Mnangagwa's invitation is revoked.
The planned visit to the First Ladies of African Impact & Resilience (FLAIR) Summit - a forum promoting collaboration on resilience, impact and climate action - has triggered widespread outrage within Zimbabwe's diaspora community, who accuse the First Lady of representing a regime responsible for human rights abuses and political repression.
The protests, spearheaded by the Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisation (ZHRO), began in Stockton-on-Tees and have spread rapidly to cities including Coventry, Leicester, Leeds, Peterlee, Brighton, Durham, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, and beyond.
Demonstrators, carrying placards and chanting anti-regime slogans, urged British Members of Parliament and local council leaders to act swiftly - including tabling a parliamentary motion - to block Mnangagwa's entry into the UK, stressing that the summit is not a UN-sanctioned event.
"There is no justification for allowing Auxillia Mnangagwa to parade on international platforms while her government jails journalists and silences dissent," said one protester.
"Her visit is an insult to victims of State brutality."
Prominent voices at the demonstrations included Shamiso Moyo, Nobukhosi Dube, Dickson Chikwizo, Shepherd Yuda, John Burke, Josephine Jenje Mudimu, Panashe Sivindani, and others, including 2020 NUST lone protester now based in the US. The protestors condemned Zimbabwe's Patriot Act 2023, which they say criminalises dissent and targets diaspora activists.
The protests coincided with World Press Freedom Day, amplifying calls for the release of detained Heart & Soul TV journalist Blessed Mhlanga, who protesters say is a clear example of the Mnangagwa government's crackdown on press freedom.
"Our lives are at risk simply for speaking out," said another protester, referencing threats and digital surveillance by suspected Zimbabwean state agents.
Social media posts from the UK protests have reportedly drawn attention from Zimbabwean authorities, who are allegedly considering investigations into the demonstrators - a move that has sparked fears of retribution against family members back home.
Meanwhile, UK Parliamentarian Lord Jonny Oates weighed in on the controversy last week, urging fellow lawmakers attending the summit to challenge Mnangagwa on the detention of journalists and allegations of state-sponsored brutality.
"I note that the President's wife is due to speak at a summit in London in June and I hope that members of our Parliament who are choosing to take part will challenge Zimbabwe's first lady on the continued detention of Blessed Mhlanga and the overall brutality of the regime that she represents," Oates said.
ZHRO has vowed to sustain pressure on British authorities and summit organisers until Mnangagwa's invitation is revoked.
Source - newsday
