Mnangagwa reveals he will travel to UK for King Charles inauguration

By Staff Reporter

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has confirmed that he join world leaders attending the coronation of coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as king and queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms.

Charles acceded to the throne on 8 September 2022, upon the death of his mother, Elizabeth II and his coronation is scheduled for the weekend of May 6 at Westminster Abbey in London.

“The Coronation Service will take place on the morning of Saturday, 6th May 2023 at Westminster Abbey. The Coronation is a solemn religious service, as well as an occasion for celebration and pageantry,” the royal family says on its website.

“On Sunday, 7th May 2023, a special Coronation Concert will take place at Windsor Castle … the Coronation Concert will bring global music icons and contemporary stars together in celebration of the historic occasion.

“… the concert will see a world-class orchestra play interpretations of musical favourites fronted by some of the world’s biggest entertainers, alongside performers from the world of dance.

“The performances will be supported by staging and effects located on the Castle’s East Lawn and will also feature a selection of spoken word sequences delivered by stars of stage and screen.”

Mnangagwa confirmed his attendance in a weekly column for the Sunday Mail, adding the development signalled continued efforts to normalise relations with the West.

“In early May, I shall be attending the coronation of King Charles III, again adding a positive chapter to our bilateral relations with the United Kingdom,” he wrote.

The Zanu PF leader added; “Re-engaging US, UK In both the United States of America and in the United Kingdom, re-engagement continues,” writes the President.

“Late last year, our Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade attended the USA-Africa Summit.

“This was the first-ever time such an invitation was extended to Zimbabwe. We hope the Administration there is beginning to see that relations between us must be re-based, putting behind us the unwarranted and undeserved punitive measures which do not serve our mutual interests.”

Mnangagwa’s administration is keen to end more than two decades of frosty relations with the West, blaming sanctions imposed by the US and the European Union for devastating the country’s economy.

Imposing the sanctions western countries accused the then Robert Mugabe-led government of gross human rights abuses, electoral fraud, corruption and repression.

However, Mugabe insisted that his government was being punished for its controversial and violent fast-track land reform programme.