THE upcoming FLAIR Summit in London, a prestigious gathering of African First Ladies aimed at promoting resilience, leadership, and community development, risks being tainted by the presence of Zimbabwe’s First Lady, Auxillia Mnangagwa.
Her attendance would be more than inappropriate. It would be a moral and political failure.
Here is why the UK must bar her from participating:
Auxillia Mnangagwa is not an innocent figurehead. She is the wife of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who rose to power on the back of a military coup and has since presided over one of the most repressive regimes in Zimbabwe’s post-independence history.
Under his leadership, peaceful protestors have been brutally attacked, abducted, and tortured.
Journalists have been jailed for doing their work. Opposition activists like Job Sikhala have been unlawfully detained for months without trial. The recent arrest of journalist Blessed Mhlanga for simply doing his job is just one of many examples.
As First Lady, Auxillia has done nothing to speak out against these atrocities. On the contrary, she continues to benefit from and represent a government that thrives on fear, censorship, and violence. Allowing her to share a platform with women who are genuinely working to uplift others is a betrayal of everything the FLAIR Summit claims to stand for.
Zimbabweans living in the UK are watching in disbelief and anger. Organizations like the Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisation (ZHRO), along with citizens in cities such as London, Coventry, and Leicester, are staging demonstrations. These are not political stunts, they are desperate calls for the UK to stand on the right side of history. The protesters are not asking for much simply that the UK does not give validation to a regime that has brought nothing but suffering to millions.
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By welcoming Auxillia Mnangagwa, the UK would effectively endorse her government’s crimes. This is not a new issue. In 2023, several Members of Parliament voiced their dismay at President Mnangagwa’s invitation to King Charles III’s coronation. Their reasoning was simple: democratic governments should not roll out the red carpet for dictators.
The same logic must apply here. The First Lady is not merely a guest. She is a representative of a deeply flawed and violent regime. Her presence would damage the UK’s reputation as a defender of democracy and human rights. In a country where hospitals have no medicine, teachers earn poverty wages, and over 70% of the population lives below the poverty line, Auxillia Mnangagwa's lavish international trips are an insult to Zimbabweans.
Last year, she quietly cancelled a planned UK trip after reports emerged that she had booked luxury accommodation in London using taxpayer funds. Worse still, her delegation included non-governmental associates, raising serious questions about corruption and abuse of office.
This pattern of extravagance, while Zimbabweans go hungry, should disqualify her from attending any international summit on development or empowerment. The FLAIR Summit is meant to celebrate women who lead with compassion, integrity, and courage. Auxillia Mnangagwa represents the opposite. Her government locks up mothers for protesting school fees, silences rape survivors who speak out, and denies basic rights to its own citizens. By allowing her a seat at the table, the Summit becomes a platform for propaganda. It says that if someone wears the title of “First Lady,” it doesn’t matter what their regime does. This is not empowerment, it is betrayal.
The United Kingdom prides itself on defending democracy, human rights, and ethical leadership. That means drawing a line, especially when it’s politically inconvenient. Auxillia Mnangagwa does not belong at the FLAIR Summit. She is not a symbol of resilience.
Denying her entry would not be an act of hostility, it would be an act of solidarity with the victims. It would send a clear message that the UK does not tolerate tyranny dressed in designer suits and PR smiles.
Let the FLAIR Summit remain a space for real change makers, not for enablers of repression.
- Tarisai Stella Mapondera is Zimbabwean based in the Uk. She writes on her capacity.
