BEIJING, China – President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s huge entourage during his week-long trip to China included his son and brother-in-law, ZimLive has learnt.
Mnangagwa flew to China on August 28 aboard a Boeing Business Jet B737-77W operated by Royal Jet of the United Arab Emirates, returning home on September 7.
The aircraft, registration A6-RJU, has an hourly charter price of US$18,600, according to Paramount Business Jets, a charter services broker.
Mnangagwa’s delegation of over 45 people included his son, Collins, and his wife’s brother, Henry Kutyauripo.
Kutyauripo and the president’s twin son were present Mnangagwa visited Mao Zedong Square in Beijing, where he laid flower at the bronze statue of the iconic founder of the Chinese Communist Party.
The presence of the duo on an official trip will renew criticism of Mnangagwa for surrounding himself with time-servers and toadies who use their proximity to the Zanu PF leader for self-gain.
Collins, who studied in China and is fluent in Mandarin, has partnered several Chinese companies and would have used the trip for private business.
When asked about Collins’ presence on the trip, Mnangagwa’s spokesman George Charamba snapped: “It’s his son.”
On Kutyauripo, Charamba said: “He is a director, he is a government employee.”
He refused to state the department where Kutyauripo works, or explain his relevance on the president’s delegation to the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) attended by over 50 other African leaders.
