In September 2019, the ministry of foreign affairs and international trade hired the London-based subsidiary of US lobbying firm Mercury Public Affairs to lobby for a fresh start under President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
At the end of 2021, the contract that is worth $90,000 per month was taken over by a new firm, Actum International UK. However, Mercury’s US-based team remains registered to lobby on the account. The team includes former Senator David Vitter (a Republican from Louisiana) and former congressman Toby Moffett (a Democrat from Connecticut).