HARARE – Zimbabwe’s First Lady, Auxilia Mnangagwa, and her two sons, Collin and Sean, recently chartered a private Gulfstream G550 to Belarus. Although it is unclear why they made the trip, it appears they conducted government business during their time there. The trip cost a staggering $109,000 for a one-way trip of about 10 hours from Harare to Minsk. While first ladies do not hold official government positions under Zimbabwean law, it is unclear what arrangement Auxillia has for conducting business on behalf of the state. She reportedly met with President Aleksandr Lukashenko to discuss government business. She also met with controversial businessman Aleksander Zingman, who was appointed honorary consul for Zimbabwe in 2019. Pictures of the First Lady and her sons with Zingman were posted on the Information ministry’s social media pages. Lukashenko reportedly said during his visit to Zimbabwe, Mnangagwa asked for help in establishing a system similar to the Belarusian one in the area of maternity services, help for children, especially newborns, and child nutrition. Zimbabwe’s government is also forging ahead with plans to import 131 fire tenders at $464,296 each from Belarus, a deal that has been criticized by local councils as daylight robbery.
