Sick of home Mugabe off to Algeria

via Sick of home Mugabe off to Algeria – New Zimbabwe 21/03/2015

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe barely stopped to recover from jet-leg in Harare after returning from a trip to Japan before he was flying out of the country again.

After spending a week in Japan where he stunned rivals by allowing his daughter, Bona, to attend meetings with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the 91-year-old leader left Harare for Namibia.

In Windhoek Namibia, he attended the inauguration of President Hage Geingob, the SADC country’s third leader since independence in 1990.

The Namibians have had three leaders in seemless transitions over 25 years while Zimbabwe has had to endure Mugabe for the past 35 years.

And it has now emerged he will leave Harare again “over the next few days” for a state visit to Algeria.

The trip was confirmed by incoming Algerian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Nacerdine Said, on Friday.

“We also talked about the State visit by President Mugabe to Algeria in the next days. The trip will make bilateral relations between our two countries stronger,” said the envoy.

“I told the President (Mugabe) that President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and the people of Algeria were ready to welcome him and once again expressing solidarity and friendship with the people of Zimbabwe.”

Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980 and refuses to step down despite struggling with poor health and other challenges that come with old age.

While in Namibia, and without a sense of irony, the Zanu PF leader praised the SADC country for its smooth leadership transitions.

Back home Mugabe recently fired his deputy Joice Mujuru, claiming she wanted to remove him from power. Dismissed with the former vice president were several cabinet ministers and senior party officials.

Meanwhile, opposition parties have condemned Mugabe’s frequent trips abroad saying they are a huge burden on the fiscus.

The government is struggling for money in a failing economy. Last week five prisoners died at Chikurubi Maximum Prison in Harare following riots over food shortages.

The University of Zimbabwe was briefly shut down as well following student protests after lecturers joined colleagues around the country to protest the non-payment of salaries.

The MDC-T party accused Mugabe of being “selfish and insensitive”.

“We ask God as Zimbabweans what sins we have committed to deserve such a selfish and insensitive leader for these long years.

It is not morally right for Mugabe to be hopping from one aeroplane onto another at huge State expense,” said party spokesperson Obert Gutu.

Jacob Mafume of the MDC Renewal Team said Mugabe’s trips were not only immoral but a gross dereliction of duty.

“He seems determined to engage in presidential tourism, taking his children to places where they have never been,” said Mafume.

“It is as if he is saying goodbye to all the places he has ever known at the expense of the ever-suffering Zimbabwean population.

“If we had known that when he campaigned to be president all he wanted was to travel … we could have put it in his retirement package.”