Zimbabweans were seen stocking up on snacks and booze to celebrate their president’s arrival at the Cop26 climate summit.
Two men are seen pushing trollies stuffed with beer, wine, whiskey, and other beverages at a Costco store near Glasgow in photos shared by the country’s information Minister.
Video shows the men in scarfs in Zimbabwean colors, pulling the packed trollies out from the store while saying, “Cop 26 are we ready.”
Another man is heard saying, “We are welcoming Emmerson dambudzo Mnangagwa to Scotland, UK.”
Nick Mangwana (Zimbabwe’s Information Minister) shared the video. He also tweeted a clip of men and women dancing to music on a beach.
Despite criticisms that the video sent a ‘wrong message’ about the climate conference, Mr Mangwana insists that no delegates were involved.
He stated that the celebrations were organized in Zimbabwe by British Zimbabweans who wanted to welcome the president to the UK.
This is the first time in 25 years that a Zimbwabean leader has visited the UK.
Sharing the video, Mr Mangwana said: ‘Tonight there is a massive welcome party held in honour of HE President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa.
Two men were captured pushing trollies packed with beer, wine and whisky at a Costco near Glasgow in photos shared by the country’s information Minister. Two men wearing scarfs in Zimbabwean colours are seen pulling trollies packed with Glenfiddich whisky out of a Costco in Glasgow.
Yesterday, Mr Mnangagwa met other world leaders like Boris Johnson and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres at Cop 26’s climate summit.
‘Glasgow has it all. Zimbabweans from all parts of the UK attend this shindig to welcome their President.
“The party will spill to the streets tomorrow. What about the UK? Join the party.
It is the first visit of Mr Mnangagwa to the UK, also known as ‘the Crocodile’ for his political cunning.
After Robert Mugabe’s resignation, he was elected president in November 2017.
Like his predecessors, Mr Mnangagwa hails from the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front.
Lacoste is the name of his party. It is named after the French sportswear company that has a crocodile logo.
Yesterday, Mr Mnangagwa sat down with Boris Johnson as well as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during the Cop 26 climate summit.
This is the first face to face meeting between a Zimbabwean and UK leader since Tony Blair, then Labour Prime Minister, met Mr Mugabe in Edinburgh 1997.
Relations between the two nations quickly soured, with Blair withdrawing from talks that year to help Mr Mugabe fund his controversial land reforms.
Yesterday, Mr Mnangagwa sat down with Boris Johnson as well as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during the Cop 26 climate summit. This is the first meeting between a UK president and Zimbabwean president since Tony Blair met Mr Mugabe back in 1997 (pictured).
It is the first visit of Mr Mnangagwa, also known as “the crocodile” because of his political cunnings, to the UK.
British political leaders and Mr Mugbae were criticized for their opposition to the policy and Mugbae’s management of Zimbabwe’s economic affairs.
The United States, Britain, the European Union, and the European Union placed targeted sanctions against Zimbabwe to punish it for its human rights record, including the persecution of journalists and failures to punish security forces who committed abuses under Mugabe.
Despite Mr Mugabe’s resignation, the west has maintained targeted sanctions.
Alena Douhan, UN rapporteur, urged the west last week to lift the sanctions. She claimed that they limit public access to healthcare, food, and sanitation.
However there remains concern over human rights abuses in Zimbabwe, with Human Rights Watch warning of a ‘decline’ in the situation in 2020 under Mr Mnangagwa’s presidency.
New York-based charity warns that state security agents may have tortured more than 70 critics last year.
Separately, Amnesty warned Zimbabwe that the Covid-19 had been used by the government to place’severe limitations’ on freedoms within the country.
Amnesty International said that women were denied access essential maternal health care and that violence against girls and women was widespread.
Some social media users reacted negatively to Mr Mangwana, the Information Minister, posting photos of the celebrations.
One Twitter user wrote: “Rest of the World: The world is dying, let’s get together and discuss it …”
‘ED Supporters – “Let’s go and Costco and purchase alcohol.”
‘Nick (the official spokesperson for the government): “Let us promote this on social media.”
Another wrote: “Optics matter, but this doesn’t look right.”
One Twitter user asked what Zimbabwe would do about climate change. Mr Mangwana responded. He replied, “We will cover that.”
“We covered bits this morning. For now, Zimbabweans welcome their president to Glasgow.
He also responded to those who suggested that the men were part the Zimbabwean delegation to reply: “No delegate is present.”