By A Correspondent Elisabeth Isabel Valerio has criticized Mrs. Auxillia Mnangagwa for squandering State funds while citizens continue to suffer. Valerio, a Zimbabwean businesswoman and leader of the United Zimbabwe Alliance (UZA), was the sole female presidential candidate in the 2023 elections.
In her statement, Valerio questioned the value of extravagant First Lady’s lounges amidst widespread poverty: “What purpose does a lavish First Lady’s lounge serve when many citizens are hungry? Hospitals across the country are critically understaffed, patients die daily due to insufficient medical equipment, and countless Zimbabweans face peril on poorly maintained roads. The situation is dire and demands the President’s immediate attention. Instead of addressing these pressing issues, the government appears preoccupied with luxurious accommodations for a selected few.
Is this where our national priorities should lie? The six opulent lounges at Robert Gabriel Mugabe Airport, part of a US$153 million loan from China, will further burden Zimbabwe with ongoing maintenance costs. According to @nickmangwana, these lounges include spaces for the President, First Lady, Vice Presidents, Ministers, Service Chiefs, and Diplomats. Meanwhile, Air Zimbabwe is not operating at full capacity, and our national transport infrastructure is in disarray.
We have a barely functioning domestic flight network, limited primarily to Bulawayo, and our railway system is nearly at a standstill. It is a.