Paul Nyathi|Renowned Harvard University is facing immense pressure to rescind a title of “honorary ambassador” given to Auxillia Mnangagwa, the wife of Zimbabwe’s president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, for “exemplary work” in the field of public health.
In a release last week, the Global Health Catalyst programme, which fights cancer and other diseases through outreach, collaboration and high-profile international initiatives, announced it was honouring the Zimbabwean first lady for her work in increasing access to cancer prevention and control and would organise a major conference in the former British colony.
Zimbabwe’s first lady founded a charity last year dedicated to public health work. Its website says it is “a foundation built of the strong African traditional and Christian values of love and unity.”
Some media outlets in Zimbabwe reported the award would lead to investment in Zimbabwe’s health sector and had been prompted by cancer-screening programmes that had benefited thousands of women.
However the university’s decision has surprised some observers.
In addition to a poor human rights record and allegations of electoral malpractice, Zimbabwe’s public health service is suffering an acute lack of investment while an economic crisis, blamed by many analysts on the policies of the ruling Zanu-PF party, has led to acute medicine shortages.
Members of the political elite are routinely treated overseas.
In a letter addressed to the director of global health catalyst at Harvard medical school, Prof Wilfred Ngwa and more than a dozen former US diplomats, including several former ambassadors to Zimbabwe, have expressed their “profound concern over [the] decision to honour the first lady of Zimbabwe”.
They wrote: “To be blunt, your well-intentioned work in these areas are tainted by the affiliation with Ms Mnangagwa and her direct personal connection to an increasingly corrupt and abusive administration in which tolerance for dissent is non-existent and democratic rights are violently denied.
“In light of the concerning situation in Zimbabwe, we implore your institution to … consider rescinding this honour to first lady Mnangagwa … Too often, repressive regimes will use prestigious international institutions, like Harvard University, to launder their oppressive practices and reputations.”
Mnangagwa took power in 2017 when the late veteran ruler Robert Mugabe was forced to resign after a military takeover in November 2017. He promised to bring foreign investment to avert a deepening economic crisis, overhaul government and rehabilitate the former British colony’s international image.
Zimbabwe is crippled by massive debts incurred during Mugabe’s rule and needs a multibillion-dollar bailout to prevent economic collapse. However, the continuing repression and a lack of tangible political reform means there is little chance of international institutions offering major aid packages.