 McGee and the ambassadors and senior diplomats from Britain, European Union, Netherlands, Japan and Tanzania – who the police later allowed to proceed with their journey – were held while on their way back to Harare from visiting two hospitals in the province where they met victims of political violence.
 About 10 journalists who were travelling with the foreign diplomats were also held before the entire group was allowed to proceed to Harare.
 The diplomats were held up for allegedly breaking official protocol by visiting the remote rural areas hit by political violence without official clearance by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as is normally required when foreign officials travel more than 40km outside Harare.
 A US embassy official told Zimonline that the incident was sparked after one of the security agents sought to establish what the diplomats wanted in the rural areas.
 The official said: The scuffles started after one of the security guys enquired about what the team was doing in the rural areas upon which he was told that we were visiting people who were beaten up in acts of political violence to which the security guy responded by saying then we will also beat you up thoroughly.
 A heated exchange of words ensued until the police allowed the diplomats to proceed back to Harare but only after the diplomats had stood their ground and resisted attempts by the police to make them drive to Mazowe police station.
 US embassy spokesperson Paul Engelsaund said: They wanted to take us to the police station but I guess the whole spectacle was just to hassle us and tell us that they know what we are doing and they can stop us.
 They didn’t want us to see the brutality going on in the rural areas where there are people crying for help.
 Earlier on, armed policemen had unsuccessfully tried to stop the foreign diplomats from leaving Mvurwi Hospital where they had visited victims of political violence. – ZimOnline.
Post published in: News