Auxilia Mnangagwa

In 1992, she joined the then Prime Minister’s office. It was during this period that she is reported to have worked at the Sheraton Hotel (now Rainbow Towers) as a security officer. She was with the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) until 1997 when she left to undertake her studies in Environment and Tourism at the University of Zimbabwe . Two years after leaving the country in order to pursue her studies in Hotel and Tourism Administration in Switzerland, she graduated with a degree in 2001. Mnangagwa returned back to Zimbabwe and worked in Zanu-PF’s finance department in Kwekwe.

Mnangagwa, Psychology Mazivisa, Betty Kaseke, Tshinga Dube, and Esau Mupfumi won positions in by-elections. She spent a number of years behind the political scenes.

Auxilia is wife to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and also mother to Emmerson Mnangagwa Junior who was also speculated by various sections of the media to have been interested in taking up the seat for Chirumanzi-Zibagwe which was declared vacant after the former holder of that seat Emmerson Mnangagwa (president) was appointed Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe

Political career

Auxilia Mnangagwa initially sought to represent Kwekwe Chirimanzu as its senator but failed to make it to the upper house because Zanu-PF got four out of six seats in the province under the proportional representation system. It was reported that she submitted her CVs to the party for consideration to allow her to contest for the Chirimanzu seat for the house of assembly after it had been declared vacant.^[1][2] Her bid to get into parliament was reported to have been cast in doubt after it emerged that there were other candidates which had decided to contest with her in the primaries.^[3]

Having been slowed down by several technicalities to get into parliament, Auxilia Mnangagwa was reported to have landed one foot in the house of assembly. The development was said to have been occasioned by the withdrawal of two candidates from the party primaries. The two candidates that eventually withdrew from the race were Erasmus Jaya who was the deputy national secretary for transport in the party’s Youth League and Violet Nhari who was the provincial commissar in the Women’s League.^[4]

After the withdrawal of the two candidates, it was widely speculated that Auxilia Mnangagwa would not face much opposition in the primaries which would almost guarantee her a seat in parliament.^[4] Nonetheless the specific details as to why the two had chosen to pull out of a race which they had initially chose to partake in remained very sketchy. She went on to win the parliamentary by-election in 2015.^[5]

However in 2018 after her husband had assumed office as the President of Zimbabwe, Auxilia resigned as the Chirumanzi Zibagwe legislator.Mnangagwa’s Wife Gives Up Parliamentary Seat The reason cited was that she needed to focus on her role as the first lady. In a statement her husband the President said,

Manga muna mai venyu, Mai Mnangagwa, muchifamba navo, vachifamba nemi vari MP wenyu. Ndazodzoka kuborder jumper, ivo (amai) havana kuinda neni, vakasara vakachengeta mhuri. Vakaona matambudziko akawanda, asi vakaramba vakangotsunga, vakangotsunga. Vakati zvino baba zvamava President, ini ndaFirst Lady, ndandafunga kuti handisungirwe kuti ndingoita Amai Mnangagwa veChirumanzu-Zibagwe (chete). Chiregayi ndiite mai venyika. Ndikati hallelujah! Hallelujah! Asi hazvibvire kuti havasiri mai venyu, aiwa. Tasvika pekuti ipo, saka iko zvino izvi takawirirana na- Amai Mnangagwa kuti vachirega huMP kuno. Vaakuregera kubva nhasi, voita mai venyika. Vava MP kose-kose kwavanokwanisa kuita. Imwi vekuno mosarudzana muZanu-PF kuti muwane vamwe mai, vamwe baba vachatora chinzvimbo ichocho. (The First Lady has asked me to tell you this message. She will now be concentrating on being the mother of the nation, she will be travelling countrywide initiating developmental and empowerment projects. You have not lost because she will continue with all projects she started here. So, it is now up to you to elect another representative during primary elections, who will represent the party in the forthcoming elections.)

Philanthropic Work

The first lady has been involved in a number of philanthropic activities. Among some of her philanthropic work, Auxilia is said to have been engaged with female prison officers and spouses of male prison officers in income generating projects. She was reported to have assisted in establishing women's banks in areas such as Zhombe, Zibagwe, and Chirimanzu among other centres^[6] In 2013, she also launched a women's bank in Mvuma with the assistance of the Small and Medium Enterprises and Cooperative Development ministry.^[6]

Angel of Hope Foundation

Angels of Hope Foundation's main focus is to uplift lives of disadvantaged children and other vulnerable members of society.

The launch, which was held at the Harare International Conference Centre, saw nearly one million dollars being pledged by individuals and organisations towards assisting the needy. Among those who pledged substantial amounts were wife of United Family International Church Founder Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa, Mrs Ruth who pledged $300 000 while President Mnangagwa chipped in with $100 000. Several other guests donated different amounts of money, building materials, blankets, food and clothes. The Foundation is led by a board of directors chaired by Mrs Chipo Mutasa.

Speaking at the launch, Auxilia Mnangagwa said the role of the foundation was to create a better future for vulnerable members of society.

Defamation Lawsuit

After having been implicated in vote-rigging plot by ousted Jason Machaya, the latter was taken to court by Auxilia Mnangagwa for having brought her name into disrepute. It was reported that she sued former Midlands chairperson Jason Machaya, Douglas Kanengoni and Masvingo Provincial Affairs minister Kudakwashe Bhasikiti for US$50 million arguing that her image had been tarnished since she was the wife to a career politician.^[7] Mrs Mnangagwa also argued that after being associated with electoral fraud by the trio of Bhasikiti, Machaya and Kanengoni, her business empire had suffered considerably, let alone her public image since she was the wife of the then Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister who had been in government since 1980.^[7]

Zanu-PF Factionlism an Acting First Lady Remark - 2014

Auxilia Mnangagwa was at the center of a first lady joke which was made by Faber Chidarikire when President Mnangagwa had been the acting president during Robert Mugabe's annual leave. Chidarikire was quoted as having said that Auxilia Mnangagwa was also the acting first lady since Emmerson Mnangagwa was also the then acting vice president.^[8] Chidarikire made the remarks after he had been assigned to introduce Auxilia Mnangagwa during a party to celebrate the elevation of Prisca Mupfumira into the politburo and her appointment as Public Service, Labour and Social Services Minister.^[8]

Assuming the First Lady Role

Auxilia became the First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe on the 24th of November 2017 when her husband Emmerson Mnangagwa was inaugurated as the second Executive President of Zimbabwe.

Accusing Military Of Spying on Her - July 3019

In July 2019 and an audio conversation of an apparent phone call between Auxilia and an army commander Colonel Samson Murombo leaked online and one of the first people to post about it on social media the news was Jonathan Moyo. In the conversation, Auxilia accuses Murombo of putting in place a spying operation on her. She threatened that she would confront him directly at his offices so that he answers for it. Murombo at the time was commander of the 1 Presidential Guard Infantry Battalion based at Josiah Magama Tongogara Barracks (formerly KGVI Barracks), which is responsible for securing the President and State House.

The apparent voice of Auxilia says in the leaked conversation:

You’re spying on me. Just tell me what you want from me because if I die, it would be you. You must waylay me on the road, I’m coming from Bulawayo. If you don’t, straight away I’m coming to your office and you can do what you want with me. You can’t deal with women like this… me and you will get even. I’m going to make a story about this.

I’m coming to your office to sit there. What threat am I? To who? What threat do I have?

You draw your confidence from the fact that you have a gun. I’m coming there and you can shoot me… if you don’t shoot me before I get there, we’ll kill each other in your office...

I’m just a mere woman, a grandmother. Go and shoot Mnangagwa, I ask for a pardon. Don’t shoot me because I’ve children. Just shoot Mnangagwa, because I know this is all about him. Just go and shoot him, why do you want to shoot me? What have I done? What threat do I pose to you Murombo? I don’t even know your wife. I’m coming to your office.^[9]

Gold Smuggling

She is mentioned on p32 Cartel Power Dynamics in Zimbabwe under the Case Study 5 The Mining Cartels.

The head of the Zimbabwe Miner’s Federation, Henrietta Rushwaya is currently on trial for attempting to smuggle gold belonging to Pakistani businessman Ali Muhamad. (Madzianike, N. Rushwaya remains in custody as State moves to contest Ali bail. 13 November 2020) It has been alleged that Rushwaya, the First Lady, Auxillia Mnangagwa and one of the President’s sons, Collins Mnangagwa are part of “an elite trafcking cartel” that smuggles gold out of Zimbabwe. (Flanagan, J. Zimbabwe gold smugglers ‘worked for Mnangagwa’s wife’. The Times, 2 November 2020)

Pictures

AFP PHOTO / MUJAHID SAFODIEN

Auxilia and Emmerson Mnangagwa at a government function

Auxilia Mnangagwa

References