Own Correspondent|First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa is reported to have cut her prolonged stay in New York allegedly to return home and attend to cyclone Idai crisis ravaging the country.

Women Affairs, Community and Small to Medium Enterprise Development Minister Sthembiso Nyoni said this at a CSW side presentation on Tuesday where the First Lady was expected.

“As Minister and leader of this delegation, I saw it fit to invite our First Lady to this year’s CSW to come and share her most humbling and wonderful works which she is doing through her Angel of Hope Foundation back home.

“I also want to convey an apology from our First Lady who could not be here with us today as we all know that our country was hit by a cyclone which affected parts of our country and our First Lady, as a responsible leader, had to fly back home to see to it that the affected citizens are assisted,” said Minister Nyoni.

Mrs Mnangagwa left the country over a fortnight ago a week ahead of the UN women conference with a delegation of women drawn from across the country. She was heavily criticised for leaving the country far too early ahead of the meeting which she has since failed to attend.