*Labour MP Butler distances herself from summit with Zimbabwe's First Lady as activists threaten protests* ___________________________________ `June 16, 2025` ___________________________________ > *Follow The Voice Online News WhatsApp channel:* https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaPRQqTHrDZdGRK5yH43 ___________________________________ > *Share The Voice Online News WhatsApp group link:* https://chat.whatsapp.com/DjU5F7Goh3M6M4XSkg81Gx ___________________________________ > *To advertise with The Voice Online News, talk to us here:* https://wa.me/message/PLR6ANGW2RX4I1 ___________________________________ Labour MP Dawn Butler has withdrawn from an international summit in London after learning she was advertised as a speaker alongside Auxillia Mnangagwa, Zimbabwe’s First Lady, who is under US sanctions for alleged corruption and gold smuggling. The decision follows fierce backlash from Zimbabwean activists, who accuse Mnangagwa of hypocrisy and have pledged to disrupt the event with protests. The First Ladies of African Impact & Resilience (FLAIR) Summit, due to take place on 17-18 June at the Leonardo Royal Hotel in London, aims to spotlight female leadership and investment in Africa. But Mnangagwa’s inclusion has ignited controversy, prompting Butler’s exit and raising questions about the participation of two other British politicians, Labour MP Diane Abbott and Conservative peer Baroness Sandip Verma. In a statement, Butler’s office said: “We have never agreed to speaking at this event, so are rightly concerned that Dawn is being advertised as a speaker at this summit. We have contacted the organisers and asked them to remove her name from their programme immediately.” The move came after Zimbabwean diaspora activists delivered a petition to 10 Downing Street, calling for Mnangagwa to be barred from the UK. *A Controversial Guest* Auxillia Mnangagwa, married to Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa, was sanctioned by the US in 2023 under the Global Magnitsky Act. An Al Jazeera investigation, Gold Mafia, alleged she played a key role in smuggling gold and diamonds, funnelling profits to the ruling elite while Zimbabwe’s economy crumbled. Over 80% of Zimbabweans are unemployed, and 5.6 million face food insecurity, according to the World Food Programme. Last year’s elections, widely criticised as fraudulent by the EU, SADC and others, further entrenched the regime’s grip on power. Despite this, Mnangagwa has cast herself as an advocate for women’s empowerment—a claim activists dismiss as a sham. On 4 June, campaigner Josephine Jenje-Mudimbu led a protest outside Downing Street, delivering a petition to block Mnangagwa’s entry. In a video on X, she said: “Charity begins at home. Auxillia should clean up the mess she and her husband are creating in Zimbabwe. There is no room for Auxillia to come to the UK to present herself at FLAIR.” > “I’ve got a message for Auxillia Mnangagwa, the illegitimate First Lady.” > These were the first few words by Josephine Jenje-Mudimbu as she started. She was standing in front of 10 Downing Street in London, on the 4th of June 2025 as part of a protest that was also handing in a… pic.twitter.com/SbPCPvghXA *— Zimbabwe Freedom of Expression (@ZimbabweFreedo1) June 12, 2025* The outrage has spilled onto social media. X user @MilMillaz wrote: “Auxillia Mnangagwa must not be given a platform at the #flairsummit. She represents a brutal regime responsible for abductions, mass corruption, and human rights abuses.” *Political Fallout* Butler’s withdrawal has turned the spotlight on Abbott and Verma, both still listed as speakers. Abbott, a veteran Labour MP, and Verma, the UK’s Ministerial Champion for Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Overseas, have yet to clarify their stances. For Verma, the stakes are high: her role puts her at odds with sharing a stage with the spouse of a leader linked to state violence. Neither responded to inquiries emailed to their offices last week. The silence has fuelled criticism. “Would these MPs sit with the spouse of a Russian oligarch?” asked @ChirevoChamisa on X. “If not, what makes Zimbabwe different?” Activists argue that hosting Mnangagwa undermines the summit’s stated mission and sends a dangerous signal to Zimbabwean women enduring repression. The FLAIR Summit’s organisers have remained tight-lipped, though sources suggest Mnangagwa’s participation could be reconsidered as protests mount. With just days until the event, the row exposes a broader dilemma: how to balance diplomatic engagement with accountability for human rights abuses. As activists prepare to “shut it down,” the summit’s future hangs in the balance. _*NewZimbabwe*_