Correspondent|FIRST Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa will spend close to three weeks in New York on taxpayer’s money after she left one week in advance of a UN gender summit.

Online reports say that Mrs. Mnangagwa, who is increasingly taking over government roles, flew for New York on Monday for a summit which runs from 11 to 22 March. She left with her delegation on Monday and will clock close to three weeks in New York, the reports say.

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the United Nations’ largest gathering on gender equality and women’s rights and is the single largest forum for UN Member States, civil society organizations, and other international actors to build consensus and commitment on policy actions on this issue.

The 63rd session of the Commission, from 11 to 22 March 2019, focuses on the following themes:

Priority theme: Social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls
Review theme: Women’s empowerment and the link to sustainable development (agreed conclusions of the sixtieth session)
Mrs. Auxillia Mnangagwa relinquished her Chirumanzu-Zibagwe National Assembly seat in February 2018 “to concentrate on her national duties as First Lady,” but she has of late encroached into government roles, with the latest New York jaunt as proof she might be aiming a return to government role.

President Mnangagwa at the time praised his wife for relinquishing the seat, saying: “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!”