(TALKZIMBABWE) MDC ambassador-designates sneak out of the country

MDC ambassador-designates sneak out of the country
The Chronicle/TZG
Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:10:00 +0000

FIVE ambassador designates from the two MDC formations last week sneaked out of Zimbabwe to the Czech Republic in an unsanctioned 10 day trip that could cause a diplomatic row between Harare and Prague.

The five who were led by Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister Moses Mzila Ndlovu are MDC-T's Hebson Makuvise, Hilda Suka Mafudze, Jacqueline Nomhla Zwambila, Khumbulani Mabed and Getrude Stevenson Dikey of MDC. They flew out of the country on Tuesday without Government permission.

Makuvise is set to be Zimbabwe ambassador to Germany, Suka Mafudze will go to Sudan, Zwambila goes to Australia and Mabed is the ambassador-designate to Nigeria. Stevenson Dikey is assigned to Senegal.

When contacted for comment last week, the Embassy of the Czech Republic, in Harare, said they would respond to questions this week.

In an emailed response to questions last Thursday, an embassy official Mrs Zuzana Beranova promised to “come back to you with answers to your questions by next week”.

Contacted for comment yesterday, MDC-T spokesperson Nelson Chamisa expressed ignorance of the trip.

“That (going without Government clearance) will be surprising. No I am not aware of the trip,” he said.

However, diplomatic sources said Government did not bless the trip and a Foreign Affairs official seconded to travel with the diplomats was denied a visa by the Czech Embassy.

A source in the diplomatic circles said the actions by the European country would fuel disunity in the inclusive Government.

"The ambassador designates were invited on the pretext that they would be taught more on European issues but only one of them is going to Europe.

"Taking the whole bunch to take instructions from them will be a cause for concern for the Government," the source said.

"What does it mean to take an ambassador going to Sudan or Senegal and teach them about Europe, it is a sheer effort to divide the inclusive Government," he said.

He blasted the ambassador designates for going against their own Government and showing high levels of indiscipline.

“They should have sought Cabinet authority before they travelled to Europe and I hope the Deputy Minister was cleared by Cabinet.

“The ambassador designates are actually going against the country and Government to get guidance from Europe.

“Europe should interact with Zimbabwean ambassadors based there. They are trying to spite the inclusive Government,” he said.

The source said the ambassadors had also shown a high level of indiscipline, as they sought to please their hosts.

“They are about to be deployed to their diplomatic missions and because they have been offered a trip to Europe they decided to go against their employer.

"And these are people, who are going to be representing Zimbabwe out there," he said.

The diplomat also accused Europe of trying to influence the envoy ahead of their deployment next month.

"Government is currently drawing up their contracts as they will soon be leaving for their posts outside Zimbabwe and their actions are quite surprising," he said.

The five ambassador-designates were nominated from the MDC formations following the formation of the inclusive Government early this year.

The MDC-T has put the issue of ambassadorial postings as a GPA issue but Zanu PF maintains that diplomats are not appointed on political lines, but on professional basis. - The Chronicle/TZG