Labour MP Dawn Butler has withdrawn from the FLAIR Summit in London due to backlash over Zimbabwe’s First Lady’s involvement. Activists accuse Auxillia Mnangagwa of hypocrisy and plan protests. The controversy raises questions about other MPs still participating, and the summit’s future is uncertain amid increasing scrutiny and potential protests.
Labour MP Dawn Butler has pulled out of an international summit slated for June in London, where her name was listed to speak alongside Auxillia Mnangagwa, Zimbabwe’s First Lady. Butler’s withdrawal comes amid backlash from activists in the Zimbabwean community, who have labeled Mnangagwa a symbol of hypocrisy. They plan protests against the summit, which intends to discuss female empowerment and investment in Africa.
The First Ladies of African Impact & Resilience (FLAIR) Summit is set to occur on June 17-18 at the Leonardo Royal Hotel in London. Butler’s decision has sparked questions regarding the participation of Labour MP Diane Abbott and Conservative peer Baroness Sandip Verma, who are still on the program despite the controversy surrounding Mnangagwa’s presence.
Butler’s office issued a statement clarifying that they had never agreed to the speaking engagement. It stated, “We have contacted the organisers and asked them to remove her name from their programme immediately.” This step followed a petition submitted by Zimbabwean diaspora activists to 10 Downing Street, urging that Mnangagwa should be denied entry to the UK.
Mnangagwa is sanctioned by the United States as of 2023 for alleged involvement in corruption and smuggling gold. A report from Al Jazeera’s Gold Mafia made claims about her significant role in these activities. This, combined with Zimbabwe’s severe unemployment rate and food insecurity faced by millions, raises serious ethical questions about her appearance at the summit.
While many see Mnangagwa’s claims of advocating for women’s empowerment as disingenuous, activists are reminding the public of her connection to a regime marked by human rights violations. On June 4, protest organizer Josephine Jenje-Mudimbu voiced her concerns at Downing Street, asserting, “Auxillia should clean up the mess she and her husband are creating in Zimbabwe.”
The public outcry regarding Mnangagwa’s role at the summit has also extended to social media, with users expressing their distress on platforms like X. One user remarked, “Auxillia Mnangagwa must not be given a platform at the FLAIRSummit. She represents a brutal regime responsible for abductions, mass corruption, and human rights abuses.”
As Butler steps back, Abbott and Verma remain under scrutiny. Abbott is known for her long career in Parliament, while Verma’s responsibilities as Ministerial Champion for Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Overseas create a potential conflict given Mnangagwa’s history. Neither MP has responded to inquiries addressing their intentions regarding the summit.
Critics have questioned why they would share a platform with a leader’s spouse accused of state violence, imploring, “If they would not stand next to a Russian oligarch, what makes Zimbabwe different?” Activists argue that including Mnangagwa not only contradicts the summit’s mission but sends a troubling message to women in Zimbabwe facing oppression.
Thus far, the organisers of the FLAIR Summit have been largely silent on the issue, but there are hints that Mnangagwa’s participation might be reassessed as protests ramp up. With the event approaching, there’s a palpable tension between the need for diplomatic dialogue and the pressing responsibility to hold leaders accountable for their actions. As activists gear up to protest, the future of the summit remains uncertain, caught in the more extensive web of political and social accountability.
Dawn Butler’s withdrawal from the FLAIR Summit amid the controversy surrounding Zimbabwe’s First Lady highlights significant discontent surrounding the latter’s involvement in the event. The backlash from activists calls into question the ethical implications of including a figure facing serious allegations of corruption and human rights abuses. With key figures like Abbott and Verma still listed, the pressure mounts as public awareness grows and protests loom, suggesting a potential reevaluation of who can rightfully represent women’s empowerment on such a platform.
Original Source: www.newzimbabwe.com
