President Emmerson Mnangagwa has led a delegation of 238 people to the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan. This was revealed by the organizers of the annual summit.
In addition to the official government delegation, another 44 individuals, listed under a special category called “Overflow,” are attending at their own expense.
By comparison, other countries with larger populations, such as South Africa (60 million), are sending just 51 delegates, while France is sending 63, Mozambique 78, and Botswana 39.
According to ZimLive, the government is paying each delegate a daily allowance of US$1,000 for five days, totalling approximately US$1.2 million for the delegation’s expenses.
Mnangagwa’s travel arrangements have also raised eyebrows. The President departed Harare on Sunday aboard a private jet, a Boeing 737-700 BBJ, chartered from Royal Jet Services in Dubai for US$12,700 per hour.
The aircraft, which has a configuration of 34 seats—8 VIP, 8 business class, and 18 standard—also includes a bedroom.
The 18-hour round trip between Harare and Baku alone would have cost the taxpayer over US$200,000, with additional costs for empty-leg flights between Dubai and Harare.
The total cost of the five-day trip, including commercial flights for many delegates, is expected to approach US$2 million.
This lavish expenditure comes at a time when Zimbabwe is grappling with its worst drought in 40 years, with more than half of the population in need of food aid.
More: Pindula News
Corruptmore Looto · 4 months ago
@To one of the Anonymous saying we just complain and do nothing ('yap yap yap and do nothing coward.......)
WHAT ARE YOU DOING besides chastising people. It is not easy to fight a corrupt state with total moral bankruptcy. It will use absolutely everything it has to defeat you, it will even burn down the whole f@ucking country so that it stays in power.
Look at what is happening in Syria, the people tried to oppose, then what happened, a f@ucking civil war happened now the country is even a much bigger mess than it was before, people are scattered all over region begging for shelter. Now just imagine what that would look like in Zimbabwe it would totally be chaos everywhere because I'm pretty sure Zanu PF won't back down.
Zanu PF has so many skeletons in the closet, too many that it won't ever step down on a whim especially the current cohort, so fighting them is out of the question. And this won't be like the bush war, it will be total hell a real civil war, I would rather live in a Zimbabwe ruled by these corrupt incompetent people than live in a nation engulfed in civil war. At least now there is peace and some order, the Syrians will tell you just how terrible a civil war is. So my fellow citizens let's just keep doing what we are doing non violent resistance, it will eventually pass maybe our children will finally be able to enjoy life because I know that nothing is eternal and also, civil war will be much worse than the situation we find ourselves in and victory won't even be guaranteed. Like I said this won't be anything like the bush war, it will be something much more sinister, destructive and terrible.
Anonymous · 4 months ago
" I would rather live in a Zimbabwe ruled by these corrupt incompetent people than live in a nation engulfed in civil war" the risk versus reward dilema was faced by revolutionaries such as Mugabe and Mnangagwa . . . . . . . Zimbabweans are content but love to blame everything on Zanu . . . . trust me when the going gets tough then there will be action like in Syria . . . . for now its just kicking a fuss for absolutely nothing . we talking a trickle down effect from 5 million members benefiting from funds accumulated for 44 years . . . . perhaps we should stop complaining and start contributing either making a difference or looting so our families too can eat ! zanu makes people live what you call a zimbabwean dream we have there is an ex actor now a minister and ex olympian now a minister , even a man born in india a succesful businessman - . some where in prison a few years back and now they donate cars like its nothing ... what are we doing guys ? be serious ?
Corruptmore Looto · 4 months ago
Like I said you can't compare the situation with that of the revolutionary war, that war was localised but a civil war won't be localised. There are many people who support Zanu PF in this country, people who don't even get a cent from Zanu PF corruption yet they support it, those people will prove to be the biggest stumbling block, if you don't have their support then a civil war will just end up becoming a forever war. I know what I'm talking about with the Syrians, some of them who left want the war to stop not caring who wins Assad, or the resistance that's just how bad it is. Mugabe and Co knew they would have uniform support across the majority but I don't think a war against Zanu PF will have the same effect. Things would be much more complicated than in the bush war. I do agree with you on the fact that if people are pushed to their limits such a desperate action might be their last hope, but I hope it won't get to that because that would be the point of no return. Cooler heads and moderates in Zanu PF will have to prevail in the years to come, over the rest of the Zanu lot and see the writing on the wall so they can change course otherwise there is no telling what could happen.