“Not only Mnangagwa who addressed empty chairs at UNGA81 – Presidential spokesperson

September 26, 2026

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By Lovemore Lubinda

Zimbabwean Presidential Spokesperson George Charamba has hit back at critics mocking President Emmerson Mnangagwa for addressing a virtually empty hall at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81) in New York.

In a series of posts on X under his well known ghost X handle @Jamwanda2, Charamba took direct aim at online publication NewsHawksLive, which had reported that Mnangagwa delivered his address to empty seats.

Charamba dismissed the report as illiteracy, arguing that the UNGA General Debate hall is routinely empty as delegations juggle bilateral side meetings, and that the real audience is the global diplomatic and media community watching on live broadcast.

To prove his point, Charamba posted videos of several other world leaders addressing the same empty auditorium at UNGA81.

According to Charamba, Ghana’s President John Mahama addressed an empty hall, as did Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Argentina’s President Javier Milei. He also cited Kenya’s President William Ruto, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Botswana’s President Duma Boko, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as leaders who all spoke before largely vacant seats.

“Watch President MAHAMA of Ghana addressing an empty hall!!!! MADUNUNU!!!!! You think guest speakers of the UNGA assembly shunt in audiences???? Illiteracy with no mitigation!!!!” Charamba wrote in one post.

In another he said, “There is President Boko of Botswana addressing empty chairs!!! You embarrass journalism,” while in posts about Turkey and Italy he added, “Turkey had empty chairs, @NewsHawksLive. And you wrote about it!!!!” and “Poor Italy’s Meloni had empty chairs.”

Charamba maintained that singling out Mnangagwa was dishonest and showed a lack of understanding of how the United Nations General Assembly works, adding that the Zimbabwean leader was honoured as the first African head of state to address the morning session.

Meanwhile, President Mnangagwa said it was an honour for him to be allocated first slot to address the session ahead of other African leaders.

Speaking upon his arrival at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport this afternoon, Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe is now highly regarded internationally, citing his allocation to address first.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information Nick Mangwana conccured with his boss.

“In diplomatic circles, that’s considered a sign of respect and diplomatic prestige,” he said.

Mnangagwa said in his address, he highlighted global challenges such as climate change and conflict require collective action and the universal, not selective, application of international law.

He outlined Zimbabwe’s priorities ahead of its 2027 – 2028 term on the UN Security Council, guided by the country’s foreign policy of being “a friend to all and an enemy to none.” The President called for reform of the Security Council and concluded by calling for the protection of the UN Charter and a fairer, more inclusive world.

NOT THE FIRST TIME FOR MNANGAGWA

Mnangagwa Addresses Thin House at UNGA 78, after disputed polls

NEW YORK, 21 September 2023*

President Emmerson Mnangagwa delivered Zimbabwe’s National Statement at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, to a hall that was largely empty, according to video and photographs that circulated on social media.

The President was the 5th speaker on the afternoon of the second day of the General Debate. He took to the podium at around 10:00am New York time.

In his address, Mnangagwa told world leaders that the world should accelerate efforts to achieve Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals through international solidarity.

He defended Zimbabwe’s 23 August 2023 harmonised elections, saying Zimbabweans “enjoyed peace, before, during and after” the polls. He reiterated calls for the immediate and unconditional lifting of what he called illegal sanctions, saying they were “designed to subjugate the sovereign will of the Zimbabwean people.”

He also claimed Zimbabwe had been the fastest-growing economy in the SADC region for the past three years and called for reforms of the Bretton Woods institutions and the UN Security Council.

The empty chairs

Shortly after the address, images showing a sparsely populated General Assembly hall went viral on X, formerly Twitter.

Nkulumane MP Desire Moyo posted a picture with the caption: “Our story, no one wants to hear it…. We need to send someone!”

Former Mt Pleasant MP Fadzayi Mahere wrote: “The speech was as vacant as the hall it was delivered in.”

FactCheckZW had earlier flagged a similar image circulating before the President spoke as premature, confirming the President was only scheduled to speak later that afternoon.

Government officials and supporters defended the President, arguing that a thin house is common during UNGA, especially for afternoon slots. Information Permanent Secretary Nick Mangwana had announced the speaking time in advance, while then-MDC Vice President Obert Gutu said UNGA scheduling favours Western leaders with prime-time slots, while many African leaders, including Paul Kagame and Edgar Lungu, also addressed near-empty halls that year.

Presidential spokesman George Charamba has previously said the UNGA audience is global and not determined by physical presence in the hall, as many delegations follow proceedings from overflow rooms and conduct bilateral meetings.

Mnangagwa’s address to a thin house has become a recurring feature of his UNGA appearances, with similar visuals reported at UNGA74 in 2019, UNGA78 in 2023, and again at UNGA81.

Mnangagwa Addresses Near-Empty Hall at UNGA74 in New York*

NEW YORK, 26 September 2019

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s address at the 74th United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday night sparked debate back home after images showing a largely empty General Assembly hall went viral.

Mnangagwa, who was among the last speakers on the second day of the General Debate, delivered his statement at around 9pm Zimbabwean time. He had earlier tweeted: “I am honoured to be representing my country at the UN and I am strengthened by the warm wishes from the people of Zimbabwe. Tonight I will be addressing the UN General Assembly and updating the world on our progress.”

Video footage from inside the hall showed only a handful of delegates present, with most of the 1,800 seats empty. On social media, critics said the President had “flown all the way to New York to address empty chairs.”

In his 20-minute address, Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe was moving forward with political and economic reforms following the fall of Robert Mugabe. He told world leaders that his government had implemented austerity measures to stabilize the economy and called for the removal of sanctions imposed by the United States and European Union, saying they were hurting ordinary Zimbabweans.

He also reaffirmed Zimbabwe’s commitment to fighting climate change and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The empty hall drew comparison with his predecessor. Some Zimbabweans noted that Robert Mugabe’s addresses at the UNGA used to draw full houses, attributing it to anticipation of his outspoken style.

Government supporters and analysts defended the President, noting that the late-night slot naturally sees fewer delegates, as many heads of state leave after delivering their own statements and follow proceedings from bilateral meeting rooms. Similar images that night showed several other African leaders, including Rwanda’s Paul Kagame and Zambia’s Edgar Lungu, also speaking to thin attendance.

At the time, Zimbabwe was facing 300% inflation, fuel shortages and a struggling currency, and the government was pushing its “Zimbabwe is Open for Business” mantra to attract investors.

The incident marked the first time the “empty chairs” narrative would follow President Mnangagwa to New York, a pattern that would resurface in 2023 and again this week at UNGA81.