via EU sticks to its guns, denies Grace Mugabe visa – Nehanda Radio Mar 27, 2014
The European Union has refused to reconsider its earlier decision to deny President Robert Mugabe’s wife, Grace, a visa to attend the EU-Africa Summit in Brussels, Belgium, next week.
According to reports EU Ambassador to Zimbabwe Aldo Dell’Ariccia said “We have followed all our procedures in relation to granting visas to persons on the sanctions list and the decision is unanimous that her visa application be denied.”
The 90-year-old Zimbabwean leader has threatened to boycott the summit if his wife is not granted the visa. There are also reports he is trying to mobilise other African Union and SADC member states to boycott in solidarity with his position.
Foreign Affairs secretary Joey Bimha said Mugabe’s attendance now hinged on the position that will be adopted by the AU.
“The permanent representatives of member states are currently meeting in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) over the matter and as a country we will stand guided by its (AU) decision,” Bimha is quoted as saying.
There is a growing feeling in some quarters that the First Lady Grace Mugabe has effectively become the caregiver for President Mugabe who is 90 years old. This they argue is the reason for Mugabe’s insistence on travelling with her.
The EU removed most individuals and companies linked to the Mugabe regime from their targeted sanctions list but retained Mugabe and his wife. The sanctions were put in place in response to gross human rights abuses.
Former St Mary’s opposition legislator Job Sikhala was very direct in his assessment.
“The nonsensical hullaballo about Grace Mugabe being denied a visa to go to to EU-Africa Summit as if she was going to present some paper about Zimbabwe is the sickening story of the week.
Generally, Mugabe travels with a bloated delegation of between 80 to 100 people every time he goes to some summit and blow not less than $10 million per every summit. You tend to wonder what business will Grace Mugabe represent except shopping.
“All Zimbabweans know that when Mugabe is busy dozing in the Summits, Grace will be busy traversing one street to the other, shopping everything coming into her sight with glittering signs.
“Africa can not be held to ransom because of the greediness of one First Lady from some poor country whose husband and her greediness has destroyed that country.
“Zimbabwe deserves better than the greediness of the Mugabes. She must remain behind to shout her voice hoarse over the civil servants salaries that are facing the challenge of not being paid for the first time in the history of this country since independence.
“Ndoozvinofanira kuita first lady izvozvo kwete zvekuchemera kuno shopper!!!!”
COMMENTS
Or if the only evidence of Human Rights ABUSE is a news paper article by a propaganda journalist, and sanctions haven’t been approved by the UN which they haven’t, then the sanctions are illegal and we cannot say we support illegality when it suits us and there is a need to enforce law on the other hand.
We see complaints about the law seeking permission for demonstrations and meetings for the publics protection from irresponsible people who loot and damage property as they have done and yet support other illegal acts as if they don’t matter because its not something that involves uds directly.
Such is the duplicity of the journalists and some people.
What is Gukurahundi if not human rights abuses? What is the mass murder of citizens after the elections preceding the GNU if not human rights abuses? Zanu is a murder machine-everyone knows it including the EU that is why travel sanctions exist against the murderer in chief and his thief of a wife. What sell outs they have PROVEN to be of the ideals of the revolution. Tongogara and Chitepo must be turning in their graves! Mugabe the sellout Zanu the sellouts
Zanu refused entry to observers from the EU.They even denied UN observers entry. The EU like Zanu pf can deny who they want entry into their area. Now we wait and see which way the cookie crumbles. The biggest looters in Zimbabwe are Zanu pf. Ask Temba MLISWA a Zanu cadre and he will tell you who’s who in the lucrative looting business.
mugabe is getting a taste in his own medicine. The EU are free to deny anyone they choose entry into their countries. After all, they ,too. are sovereign states. I suppose mugabe does not really understand sovereignty after all.
He wants to take her because she does not behave when he is away
The fact is that the EU themselves need Mugabe and other African leaders to attend and its not the other way round. If Africans are who are supposed to be “benefiting” from the summit give condition after condition and the EU keeps on giving in then there are more and more questions. The EU does not need to suffer in order to “help” the suffering Africa. I like it when African dictators keep on telling Europe to turn left and right now and then while Europe puts up a “fatherly” face. Evil is evil. Dictatorship and impoverishing the masses through jungle economic policies cannot have a partnership with a democratic process where accountability and transparency are the guiding factors.
He wants her there to change his nappy, make sure he takes his medicine and trim his toes nails. However, I have no doubt the EU employs well trained nurses/carers who are far better qualified in carrying out these tasks. With a bit of luck whoever is allocated to Bob (If he goes) will be BRITISH. Can you imagine the fury, with a bit of luck he would have a heart attack.
I see disagreement the summit because it is not important for MUGABE AND HIS WIFE; they don’t care what is the summit about or what it is, it is the organization of EU, so MUGABE AND HIS WIFE have wealth enough, wealth is not fake paper but resourceful land.
The land is of value if you can unlock the wealth in it. The Saudi desert was a useless piece of land until they unlocked the oil under it.
food for thought.
Kusanyara. Kuchemera kutenda Europe kkkkkkkkkkk.
Who is this idiot beyond redemption by the fake name apolitical? He must have the IQ of a cockroach. Well done EU for denying the visa to Grace. Hope there is more of this kind of sanity and that the meeting goes on with or without the notorious Mugabes. Sorry rest of entourage that usually trails along, no shopping spree and abuse of per diem while civil servants are hungry and livin gin uncertain times.
The oil is conditioned until you sell, you never eat, but the resourceful land of Africa, you dig, cultivate and eat in the meantime without any condition, if you are in African jungle you get something to eat even the leaves but the jungle of Saudi and EU are empty, so the land is not the one with oil, the oil depend up on to sell, but Africa’s land doesn’t, then Roving Ambassador tell me who fathered you, where are you originated?