United States President Donald Trump is considering blocking Zimbabwe from attending a major United Nations meeting in New York this September. According to a report from the US State Department, Zimbabwe is among a few countries that might be denied entry for the summit. This is not just an attack on ZANU PF. It is a clear sign that the world no longer respects Zimbabwe under its current leadership.
The event in question is the 80th United Nations General Assembly, running from Tuesday September 23 to Monday September 29. This year’s theme is “Better Together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights.” Ironically, Zimbabwe’s possible absence highlights just how far the country has strayed from those very principles.
Other countries that might be blocked include Iran, Sudan and Brazil. This is not the first time the United States has flexed its muscles this way. In 1988, it blocked Yasser Arafat from attending a UN session. But what is happening now is worse. The entire Palestinian leadership, including President Mahmoud Abbas, has been barred from entering the US. They were expected to attend a key meeting on recognising Palestine as a state. Countries like the UK, Canada and Australia were ready to support Palestine’s case if conditions were met. But now that chance is gone.
By blocking entire countries and delegations, the US is abusing its position as host of the United Nations. What should be a neutral space for diplomacy is now being turned into a political weapon. One European leader, Per Clausen from Denmark, has said enough is enough. He believes the United Nations headquarters should be moved to Geneva in Switzerland so that no single country can decide who is allowed in and who is kept out. His words are not just about fairness. They are about sending a message that global unity should never be held hostage by one man’s politics.
But for Zimbabweans, this moment is deeply personal. It is a painful reminder of what our country has become under ZANU PF. We are being grouped with dictatorships and failed states. We are being punished for crimes committed by a few in power. And our silence is no longer an option.
This is not just about Donald Trump. It is about how the world sees Zimbabwe today. When you allow elections to be rigged, when you crush human rights, when your leaders loot the economy, the world responds. They see the lies. They see the fear. They see the violence. And they act.
ZANU PF has led us into isolation. It has ruined our reputation. It has taken a proud nation and turned it into a global embarrassment. Instead of standing with other African nations as equals, we now face the shame of being blocked from a world meeting meant to promote peace and progress.
The ones who suffer most are not the ministers or generals. It is the ordinary Zimbabweans. The young person struggling to find work. The mother looking for medicine. The student dreaming of a future. These are the real victims of ZANU PF’s failures.
It is time for us to rise. Time to speak out. Time to reject the leaders who have dragged our name through the mud. If we had a government that respected human rights, promoted democracy and cared about the people, we would not be in this position.
Being banned from the United Nations is not just a headline. It is a warning. A reflection of how low we have fallen. But it can also be a turning point. Zimbabweans must demand change. We must stop rewarding failure with silence. The world is watching. And so should we.
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