AUXILLIA'S UK TRIP HANGS IN THE BALANCE

Organisers of a summit for first ladies set for the United Kingdom are under pressure to reconsider first lady Auxillia Mnangagwa’s participation following protests by exiled Zimbabweans.

Mnangagwa, who is also a Zanu PF politburo member, is one of the speakers billed to feature at the First Ladies African Impact & Recilence (Flair) Summit in London between June 16 and 18.

Her appearance on the list of speakers was greeted with scorn by Zimbabweans in UK, most who say they were forced to flee home because of Zanu PF policies.

Brent East MP Dawn Buttler’s office said she was unaware that she had been listed as one of the speakers at the conference alongside Zimbabwe’s first lady.

She had neither received an invitation nor agreed to participate at the event, despite the summit official website indicating that she was a key speaker, her office said.

Sources said the organisers will convene an emergency meeting tomorrow to deliberate on whether Mnangagwa should remain part of the indaba or be persuaded to pull out.

“An emergency crisis meeting will be held on Monday to decide on whether the Zimbabwean first lady should remain part of the meeting following widespread concerns,” an informed source said.

Although Flair co-founder Yvonne Thompson was not picking calls to confirm the developments, an insider told The Standard that protests by Zimbabweans against Mnangagwa’s presence had complicated issues for the organisers. Standard

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