Mnangagwa skips UN summit due to “dense programme” --[Reported by Umva mag]

Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa will not attend the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, marking the first time since 2018 he has missed this significant annual event.

Presidential spokesperson George Charamba cited a “dense programme in the last quarter of 2024” as the reason for Mnangagwa’s absence.

Foreign Minister Frederick Shava, who is already in New York for the assembly, would now present Zimbabwe’s statement to the annual gathering of world leaders on behalf of Mnangagwa.

Charamba did not elaborate on the specific commitments that prevent Mnangagwa from attending, but the timing of the decision suggests a prioritisation of domestic affairs over international diplomacy.

This decision has raised eyebrows among political analysts and observers following an eventful week in which the presidential helicopter crashed on its way to picking him up following an event in the southern Masvingo province last weekend.

The week also witnessed an incident in which a privately owned newspaper on Thursday “erroneously” ran an advert placed by the Zimbabwe Defence Forces to congratulate Mnangagwa on his 82nd birthday. The ad infamously concluded with the phrase, “May his soul rest in eternal peace,” leading to public outcry and accusations against the publication for the blunder.

JN/APA

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