British parliamentarians are pushing for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government to withdraw an invitation to Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa to attend the coronation of King Charles, citing alleged human rights violations in the southern African country.
President Mnangagwa last week said he was “excited” to receive an invite to attend the royal event on May 6.
He will be the first Zimbabwean leader to visit London in over two decades after the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on Harare over alleged human rights violations and electoral fraud during the rule of the late Robert Mugabe.
The chairperson of the All-Party Parliamentary Group Zimbabwe (APPG) in the House of Commons, Navendu Mishra, has written a letter to British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, urging the UK government to advise Buckingham Palace to reconsider the invitation of the Zimbabwean leader to attend the coronation of King Charles.
“To summarise, political violence and human rights abuses are widespread with opposition members of parliament and party members harassed, beaten, imprisoned and murdered,” the APPG said.
“Corruption is rife, extending to the highest levels of government, destroying the economy and impoverishing the Zimbabwe people and the judiciary and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and all institutions of the state have been suborned to the ruling party.”
The legislators noted that the main opposition party leader, Nelson Chamisa, is habitually denied permission to hold rallies and his political activities are frequently disrupted by violent Zanu PF supporters and the police.
“The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission appointees are overwhelming Zanu PF supporters, including the sons and daughters of key Zanu PF officials,” the APPG added.
Sikhala issue
The lawmakers also raised the issue of opposition Job Sikhala, who was arrested nearly a year ago for speaking on behalf of the family of a slain opposition activist.
“It is more than 300 days since Citizens Coalition for Change deputy chairperson Job Sikhala (MP) was detained after providing legal representation to the family of murdered opposition campaigner Moreblessing Ali,” the APPG said. “Since then, he has been held without trial in Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison and denied his constitutional right to bail.”
The MPs said inviting President Mnangagwa, who took over from Mr Mugabe in 2017 following a military coup, would send the wrong signal that the UK condones misgovernance.
“The coronation invitation will inevitably be used by President Mnangagwa as tacit acceptance by the UK of publicly evidenced political violence and repression in the run-up to the forthcoming election and will deeply demoralise ordinary Zimbabweans in their struggle for democracy,” the MPs said.
They went on: “We, therefore, urge the government to withdraw President Mnangagwa’s invitation until Sikhala and other political prisoners are granted their constitutional right to bail and concrete actions are taken to address human rights abuses and guarantee free and fair elections.”
The UK was still part of the European Union when Brussels first imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe in 2002 following a disputed presidential election.
After Brexit, London imposed targeted sanctions against Zimbabwean security chiefs for their alleged involvement in human rights violations. BY DAILY NATION