ZANU PF spokesperson Chris Mutsvangwa said that President Emmerson Mnangagwa was not part of the heads of State and government who had a photo opportunity with King Charles III because Zimbabwe is not a Commonwealth member.
Mutsvangwa said this in response to reports Mnangagwa was snubbed during King Charles III’s coronation in London on Saturday.
Speaking on the sidelines of the burial of national hero Abraham Kabasa in Harare on Monday, Mutsvangwa said:
We are not a member of the Commonwealth, the President is determined that we should be readmitted into the group of nations.
Mutsvangwa added that Zimbabwe does not have the right to get close and personal with the king as it is not a Commonwealth member. He said:
But as for Zimbabwe, we did not have the right because we are not yet a member of the grouping.
When we become a member, we would be part of those who will be close to the king.
We want to engage with countries that we have cordial relationships and re-engage those we have had frosty relationships with in the past.
Our President always says we are friends to all and enemies to none.
We were happy that our President was invited to King Charles III’s coronation.
When he was still a prince, he lowered the Union Jack (British flag) and raised the Zimbabwean flag after we had won the liberation struggle in 1980.
It’s a person who we like a lot and it was imperative for the President to attend.
This shows that the engagement between Harare and London is going in a good direction.
Meanwhile, other African leaders who attended Charles III’s coronation had the opportunity to meet Prime Minister Rishi Sunak but Mnangagwa got to meet the United Kingdom’s Minister for Africa, Andrew Mitchell.
Mnangagwa also met Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland who emphasised Commonwealth values in their discussion centred on re-admission.
Scotland said she was “pleased o welcome the President of Zimbabwe, Mnangagwa to Marlborough House for a courtesy call.”
She said they discussed a range of issues, including Zimbabwe’s ongoing application to rejoin the Commonwealth and reaffirmed the commitment to the values of the Commonwealth.
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