First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa’s meeting with the doctors on Friday has been condemned. Mnangagwa met doctors’ representatives in a bid to end the doctors’ strike that has been ongoing since 1 December 2018. The meeting, however, did not produce any tangible result.
MDC Alliance spokesperson Jacob Mafume said that the first lady had no constitutional mandate to negotiate with government workers. Said Mafume:
There is no role in the constitution for a mother of the nation or a father for that matter. It is alarming that the president chose to sweep the street instead of working on an issue that costs lives. We have tried this first lady route before; it is disastrous. Soon she will be holding rallies.
Prominent constitutional law expert, Fadzai Mahere said the first lady should not take over the role of an elected official:
A politician’s wife is not your mother. She cannot take over the role of an elected official or speak for that public official in an official capacity. She has no official power. Always remember this.
The Robert Mugabe-affiliated party, the National Patriotic Front spokesperson Jealousy Mawarire said:
It’s an illegitimate government, they can do as they please.