By Tinashe Sambiri
Zimbabweans based in the United Kingdom have launched a campaign to block First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa’s upcoming visit to the UK in June, accusing her of being complicit in human rights abuses and the continued suffering of Zimbabweans under the ZANU-PF regime.
The First Lady is reportedly expected to attend the FLAIR Summit, where she is slated to speak on women’s empowerment—a move that has sparked outrage among the Zimbabwean diaspora, who say she has no credibility to speak on such matters.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, activist Shamiso Moyo took to Twitter over the weekend, rallying Zimbabweans in the diaspora to unite and act.
“Together we can stop this enabler from coming to the UK. Time to mobilise and say no—she is a cruel woman who enjoys the suffering of fellow women,” said Moyo.
Moyo, like many in the diaspora, is accusing Auxillia Mnangagwa of being part of a regime that has overseen economic collapse, political repression, and gender-based violence in Zimbabwe.
“Zimbabweans, we can stop this tyranny—@edmnangagwa—if we come together. ED and family must be pushed back. Auxillia needs to be pushed back. She is a mafia and she knows nothing about empowerment of women,” she added.
In one of the more controversial calls, she said, “Please gather rotten eggs and bless her with the eggs.”
Critics say Mnangagwa’s appearance at an international women’s summit is a stark contradiction to her record back home.
“Auxillia Mnangagwa cannot be allowed to come to the FLAIR Summit to speak about women empowerment which she has no clue about. For 45 years she has been part of ZANU-PF which has championed the downfall of Zimbabwe. For the past 8 years she has been a useless First Lady,” read another widely circulated post from Moyo.
The campaign to block her visit comes amid growing frustration among Zimbabweans abroad, many of whom fled the country due to political persecution and economic hardship.
Organisers are reportedly planning protests and are lobbying UK authorities to deny her entry or at least bar her from participating in the event.
As of now, there has been no official response from the First Lady’s office regarding the planned UK visit or the protests.