Political Correspondent
President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe has sparked controversy by taking a massive delegation of 238 people to the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Azerbaijan.
This move has raised eyebrows, especially considering Zimbabwe’s current economic struggles and severe drought, which has left over half of its population in need of food aid.
Delegation Size Comparison
Other countries have taken a more modest approach:
- South Africa, with a population of 60 million, is sending 51 delegates
- France, 63 delegates
- Mozambique, 78 delegates
- Botswana, 39 delegates
Costs and Criticisms
The Zimbabwean government is paying each delegate a daily allowance of US$1,000 for five days, totaling $1.2 million.
Additionally, Mnangagwa’s private jet charter from Dubai cost over $200,000 for the round trip. The total cost of the five-day trip is estimated to be around $2 million, which could feed thousands of impoverished people back home.
Summit Objectives
Despite criticisms, Mnangagwa emphasized at the summit,
“The time for half measures is over, and we all have a duty to implement our agreements.”
The conference aims to establish the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance, replacing the 2009 pledge to mobilize $100 billion annually for climate action in developing countries.
Zim GBC News©2024