via Mugabe asks for longer Russia stay – New Zimbabwe 07/05/2015
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe left Harare Thursday for Russia where he will attend events to mark the 70th anniversary of the then Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany during World War 11.
Phelekezela Mphoko will be acting president in Mugabe’s absence.
The commemorations will be held on Saturday but Mugabe asked to stay in Moscow for a little longer, his spokesman confirmed Thursday.
“Ordinarily, we would’ve returned home after two days but the President has asked for elongation,” George Charamba told state media.
The veteran leader has come under attack from opponents for constantly flying abroad even as the government admits it has no money and the economy struggles to recover.
Mugabe is chairman of the African Union and the regional SADC grouping.
Charamba said it was in that capacity the 91-year-old was invited to Moscow.
“This is a commemoration of the 70th anniversary of victory over Nazism. It’s a world event and the President is going there representing Africa,” said Charamba.
The government has also been looking to China and Russia for a financial lifeline as well as investment to help turn the country’s economy around.
Charamba said Mugabe would stay in Moscow a little longer to engage local business and the government over trade and investment.
“That’s our main focus, apart from the ceremonial side of this visit,” he said.
“We intend to engage Russian business leaders and get some new and old deals finalised. There’s a lot of on-going contact between our ministers and the Russians.”
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov visited Harare last September and sealed a deal for the development of a US$3 billion platinum mine at Darwendale.
COMMENTS
This is kind of ironic – Mugabe is a total Nazi. But he has gone to Russia to celebrate with the present day Stalin.
The world is a strange place indeed. But The Bhobho will clutch at ANY chance to travel, ANYWHERE!
How will he cope meeting all those whites?
Could be he is staying for some treatment to reverse his senilty..
Russia has nothing to offer the zanu tyrant.They are reeling under sanctions from the West for their Hitlerism in Ukraine.Nonetheless only a lunatic would invest in Zim with the zanu lootocracy.Even the corrupt Chinese govt shies away from doing any serious buisness in zim..except selling wigs..looting diamonds and poaching ivory in cahoots with migabe and his thugs..What a sorry state Zim is in
Him and his entourage just want to replenish their already bulging personal coffers with their daily subsistence allowances whilst they are there.
The Russians are extremely racist too – just ask any black person who has been there. But The Bhobho will lick any arse if its the chance to travel
Does anyone remember RGB’s utterances, comparing himself to Hitler? Perhaps the Russian press, being the objective organisation it is (hmm!)’ needs to access Professor Google when it explores their country’s freeloading guest on his sordid trip there where more than 20 million citizens were slaughtered by Mugabe’s Nazi hero.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/07/30/this-is-my-new-favorite-robert-mugabe-quote/