Former Ntabazinduna chief Felix Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni says President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s United Kingdom trip for the COP26 summit last week was extravagant.
Ndiweni sentiments came after reports said that Mnangagwa took with him more than 100 people to accompany him to COP26 summit.
Mnangagwa’s visit was also part of the re engagement efforts with the west which the government think will facilitate for the lifting of sanctions against Zimbabwe.
Commenting on the visit Ndiweni said the hiring of a private jet from former Soviet Republic Azerbaijan, at a reported cost of US$1 million was wasteful for a head of state who have a majority of his citizens living in poverty.
“Mnangagwa’s extravagance shows the falsehoods of the sanctions campaign. Over a hundred world leaders arrived in Glasgow for the climate change conference. Among the leaders present was Mnangagwa, whose delegation was double that of South Africa, a nation that is one of the G20 nations,” Ndiweni said.
“The new President of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema went to the conference on economy class, with just a few individuals.
“Indeed a fair question would be what was the plane carrying when it left Zimbabwe?
“It is common knowledge that gold bars and other precious stones are being regularly smuggled out of the country by the powers-that-be.”
The former Ndebele chief took part in protests against Mnangagwa in the UK during the COP26 summit.
Ndiweni said Mnangagwa’s Glasgow journey showed that United Nations rapporteur Alena Douhan had been deceived by the government to think that sanctions caused the suffering of people, when in actual fact it was extravagance by the country’s leaders.
“Zimbabwean government’s position has always been that the targeted sanctions crippled the economy and finances of the government completely. Surprisingly, the world witnessed a huge delegation from Zimbabwe in Glasgow for the COP26, and huge spending allowances for each delegate in United States dollars throughout the conference,” he said.
He said funds meant for climate change mitigation in the country should be channeled through environmental organisations for implemention of programmes.