MDC-T mayors defy directive to snub Ahmadinejad
By: Ranganai Chidemo
Posted: Sunday, April 25, 2010 11:38 pm
MDC-T mayors from across the country who attended the official opening of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad defied their party leader by failing to implement a party directive to walk out during the visiting leader’s address.
Some of the mayors who spoke to journalists in Bulawayo on Saturday confirmed that Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and other senior party leaders had instructed them to walk out of the VIP stand as soon as President Ahmadinejad began his address, but they did not see the logic in that move.
“Personally I did not see any merit in such a move because that was a national event and it is unAfrican to treat your host in such a manner,’’ said one of the mayors.
“We caucused before the official opening as mayors and decided to ignore the party’s directive as we feared we were going to be embarrassed.’’
In an interview last Friday, Secretary for Media, Information and Publicity and presidential spokesman George Charamba described the MDC-T boycott of the arrival of President Ahmadinejad at the Harare International Airport on Thursday as retrogressive.
“The boycott by the MDC-T is shameful conduct that exposes its dependence on the West."
He added: “They are told who to become enemies with and who to befriend by the West. But the boycott doesn’t matter though.
“It did nothing to deter us, as we will continue with the Look East policy whose fruits are there for all to see.
“We have waited in vain for financial assistance that the Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai was promised by American President Mr (Barack) Obama and Britain, but we have continued to receive assistance and support from the Persian countries as part of our Look East policy.”
He said it defies logic that some MDC-T ministers concluded deals with the Iranians but later snubbed President Ahmadinejad.
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