Yes, Mnangagwa is at UN COP27 in Egypt to mourn about sanctions, photo opportunity and nothing else! N Garikai

 Yes, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, is in Egypt for UN COP27 Climate Summit. He will, no doubt, be accompanied by the usual high-powered delegation of hangers-on. He will complain of how sanctions are stopping Zimbabwe from addressing the Climate change challenges and call for the sanctions to be lifted. He will also call on the developed nations to honour their Climate Fund commitments; hoping against hope that Zimbabwe will get something regardless of the country’s reputation as one of the most corrupt and wasteful nations.

But most important of all, COP27 is a photo opportunity, Mnangagwa would hurt to miss!

To UN official COP27 stands for “27^th Conference of the Parties”, to many people it is just a talking shop and to many third world leaders it is another opportunity to pile on the pressure on the developed nations for handouts.

 UK PM Rishi Sunak says UK remains committed to £11.6 billion climate fund to help developing countries to cope with the ill effects of climate change and to transition from present position of emitting green-house gases to net zero emission.  

Third world countries like Zimbabwe’s failure to stamp out corruption has given some of the developed countries the excuse drag their feet on their commitments to the climate fund. They know whatever countries like Zimbabwe get, they will waste most of it. Zimbabwe received the least covid-19 aid for the same reason – corruption.

Former Health Minister Obadiah Moyo was sacked when details came out that he was behind the looting of US$60 million, in donated covid 19 funds. The case has been kicked into touch, which is the norm given Zanu PF catch and release policy!

The Earth’s temperature has increased exponentially to march the rise of green-house gases released into the atmosphere. warming continues to rise. The average global temperature has risen by 1.15 degrees Centigrade in the last 300 years, marking start of the industrial revolution and the increased consumption of fossil fuel to power the machines.

The increase in the Earth’s average temperature, only 1.15 degrees Centigrade, has cause very significant climate changes. The temperature rise has resulted in glaciers melting resulting in significant sea level rise and flood many coastal land and cities. The temperature variation has disrupted the weather pattern increasing the frequency and extend of extreme weather conditions such as heat waves, floods, drought, etc.

“We are in the fight of our lives and we are losing … And our planet is fast approaching tipping points that will make climate chaos irreversible,” UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres warned in his COP 27 opening remarks.

“We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator.”    

Like it or not we, in the developing countries have contributed the least to global warming and yet we are the ones paying most dearly for it. Whenever those in the developed nations catch flu, we in the developing world are coughing blood or worse! It is therefore in our interest to play a more positive role in fighting global warming by making sure every dollar we receive from the Climate Fund is used wisely and accounted for!

For Zimbabwe to play a meaningful role in fighting Climate Change, we must first implement the democratic reforms and end the curse of rigged elections and bad governance. Because as long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent and murderous thugs, in power because they rig elections, nothing of substance will change!