via Mugabe visa row escalates – Southern Eye by Veneranda Langa 26 March 2014
FOREIGN Affairs secretary Joey Bimha told Parliament yesterday that the African Union (AU) and Sadc had been tasked to demand that First Lady Grace Mugabe be given a visa so that she can visit Belgium.
The First Lady wants to accompany her husband to the European Union (EU)-Africa Summit in Brussels set for April 2 and 3. Only President Robert Mugabe has been invited for the summit.
Bimha told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs that the fate of the First Lady’s visa would be decided in Brussels before the summit opens next week.
“Mugabe did submit his delegation and we discovered that the First Lady had not been issued with a visa and we brought the issue before Sadc and the AU and a committee has been mandated to raise the issue in Brussels to say if the EU does not issue her with a visa then they will recommend that the summit be postponed,” he said.
“Sadc and African leaders have taken a decision that the EU cannot cherry pick on who will be invited and the EU had not invited President Mugabe, but had invited the government.”
It has emerged that the EU has also left out other AU member countries such as Eritrea, Sudan, and Saharawi Arab Republic.
Bimha said EU’s snub to other AU members will also be discussed in Brussels.
Bimha was originally invited by the committee to give an update on the Sadc uni-visa pilot project that will enable citizens of members of the bloc to travel freely within the region.
He said if the uni-visa system proves successful it would be implemented as a trade promotion and regional integration mechanism.
Bimha dispelled fears among MPs that Botswana was about to leave Sadc and join the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa).
“Botswana hates Comesa and prefers Sadc programmes. I do not see Botswana leaving Sadc,” he said.
“We may have political problems, but economically we are working together.”
He added the regional bloc was facing trade challenges since the World Trade Organisation says a country can only be a member of one customs union.
Some Sadc member states belong to different customs unions like Comesa and the Southern Africa Customs Union.
COMMENTS
I did not know Grace is part of government. So she is salaried after all. I suppose that’s why the issue has to go through parliament. Unbelievable. Zanu rubbish. Treasonous malcontents.
Of course she’s salaried.
Every Friday Gono would come to State House, when Mugarbage was asleep (as he always is these days), paycheck in hand from the RBZ, and fresh sachets of condoms!
AIDS you know, can never be too careful where dis-Grace is concerned!
I now smell something, Zanu pf destroyed the legacy of Mugabe, his Advisors and inner circle have destroyed what Mugabe fought for. Who is making the African and international media powerhouse to to mock Mugabe over wife Visa issue. The Advisors are destroying his legacy. Ndakunyara kuti am a Zimbabwean of which a President cries over wife
WHAT LEGACY – a scorched-earth legacy for Our Beloved Zimbabwe.
The man is a dis-Grace, he had NO legacy, he is Satan’s Disciple on Earth!
does grace sit in these discussions & in wat capacity? she just wanna go do some shopping wasting our money, ,,, & if au & sadc agree to the postponement, ,,,,, they truly prove that the don’t care about ppl on the ground but themselves ss leaders
The EU should just stand its ground, the Africans will not postpone because of this Dis_Grace, the EU must not be intimidated by these corrupt AU and ZPF thugs!!!
Sekuru can no longer travel without the services of a care giver. He can’t trust anybody for that important task. May the EU pls appreciate this simple truth? Let the First Care Giver travel with the First Rest Home Candidate!
True though, Sekuru is so old that if he sleeps olone he won’t be able to wake up and attend the meeting on time. Even an alarm can never do the trick. He needs Gire to play that role.
No need for her to go, I have no doubt that Brussels will supply trained staff to change his nappy!
Another bum-wiper for the Commander-in-Sleep!
Nehanda Kikikikikiki. How long is the meeting? And I think Zimbabwe must give a convincing reason why the first lady must be part of the delegation. Being the President’s wife alone is not enough.
That is simple –
dis-Grace MUST be sworn in as Chief Shopping Advisor to the Republic of Zimbabwe, Travel Consultant Extraordinaire, to the 80 person delegation, and High Priestess of Bum-wipers and Nappy Changers, and immediately!
I guess she is still drawing a salary as his secretary which makes her a civil servant.So we have Grace,Sibanda and Charamba all playing the same roll. No wonder the country is broke.
Keep her in the dairy, after all she is a ‘cow’ of note!!
Well said!
Take the issue to the SADC Tribunal. Ooops, sorry, Bob got that suspended cos of the white farmers.
3 Zimbabwean ministers = 1 Zambian minister.
3 Zimbabwean leaders = 1 foreign leader.
we Zimbabweans leaders are unique in that regard.
allow grace to go.
Saka musangano wokonegwa munhu arikuda kundotenga kumagirosa ekuBelgium? Africans never cease to amaze me.
This seems to be a scenario of the beggar demanding that the donor provide a new begging bowl with the charity. The arrogance of these demands and squeals of protest emanating from the snouts buried in the trough is breathtaking.These morons need to realize that they and their government are totally inconsequential to the West. Even the rattling of their begging bowl towards their Eastern friends has been ignored. This should surely be enough to permeate even the miniscule intelligence of these legislators to the fact that nobody outside Zimbabwe cares if they live or die and that their opinions are of no real interest to anyone. If they spend more money on sending this hideous female on a spending spree in Europe it becomes living proof that they do not deserve to be given any further future aid whatsoever as there are clearly sufficient funds in Zimbabwe for that government to support its people.
It’s all just a joke really, how can anybody take them seriously??
Disgrace is not a government employee. So stop telling us that she must go… the EU invited the government.
She has no contribution to make there. It’s an overnight trip. Surely Bob can survive that long without his cheating wife
I hope Gono is invited, and then with dis-Grace part of the huge million dollar entourage, they can have a threesome!
Well, old Bob can at least watch and salivate, as the Great RBZ pillager and First Lady of Land-grabs, fornicate for his pleasure!