On November 21, Mugabe refused permission to three members of the
international organisation the Elders – former United Nations
secretary-general Kofi Annan, ex- United States president Jimmy Carter
and international advocate for women’s and children’s rights Graca
Machel.
The delegation had planned to visit Zimbabwe to assess the impact of
the humanitarian crisis unravelling there, where more than half the
population is starving and the number of deaths from a cholera outbreak
is approaching 300.
"We seek no permission other than permission to help the poor and the
desperate. However, the refusal of the Zimbabwean government to
facilitate our visit in any way has made it impossible for us to travel
at this time,"
Annan told reporters in Johannesburg, South Africa, on November 21.
While the president’s representatives stated that the three were
advised to postpone their trip, government insiders say they were
denied entry because they are viewed as hostile to ZANU-PF, and
suspected of pursuing an opposition agenda.
Fambai Ngirande, a spokesman for umbrella organisation the National
Association of Non-Governmental Organisations, told IWPR the visit was
a perfect opportunity to highlight Zimbabweans’ need of food and other
essential drugs.
Ngirande, whose organisation sent dossiers to the trio chronicling the
humanitarian crisis in the country, said Zimbabwe urgently needed
international aid to counter overwhelming levels of destitution there.
Annan, Carter and Machel were in a position to launch a campaign for
the country, which, he said, is becoming increasingly isolated by the
international donor community because of its leaders’ intransigence.
However, a chance to secure this vital support has been lost "due to the government’s selfish political interests", he said.
"The actions of the Zimbabwean government [in preventing the visit] do
not help anyone at all as they portray the country as an unfavourable
donor destination."
Ngirande pointed out that the daily struggle for survival for the ordinary Zimbabwean has become unbearable.
"The lives of millions are under threat as they face serious food and
water shortages and a breakdown in the health service, as evidenced by
the closure of hospitals," he said.
These problems have been compounded by an outbreak of cholera this summer which has so far left 281 people dead.
According to the World Food Programme, some 5.1 million Zimbabweans will be in urgent need of aid by early next year.
There are also fears that the country faces a grim harvest because the
government is ill prepared for the current planting season, and there
is a crippling shortage of fertiliser, seed and spare parts.
Useni Sibanda, coordinator of the Christian Alliance of Zimbabwe,
agreed that the banned visit meant an opportunity had been lost to
garner support for the country.
The delegation would, among other things, has highlighted the plight of
Zimbabweans who, in addition to suffering starvation, are dying of
curable diseases like cholera, he maintained.
"[The ban on the visit] exposes the heartless of the ZANU-PF
leadership, which does not have the interest of the ordinary people at
heart," said Sibanda.
According to Sibanda, refusing the Elders entry into the country has
also done longer-term damage, "This diplomatic blunder will have a
negative impact in that it sends a signal to donors that Zimbabwe does
not need international assistance. It would appear the government is in
denial."
He said he thought the government wanted to perpetuate the myth that all is well in the country.
"If they don’t have anything to hide, why not allow the delegation in
to see the hunger stalking both urban and rural dwellers?" he asked.
According to reports, Machel said that the government’s ban on the visit was "deeply regrettable".
The Elders have remained in South Africa to brief themselves as fully
as possible about the situation in its neighbouring country.
There they will meet with representatives of humanitarian agencies,
civil society organisations, business people and officials from across
the region.
By Jabu Shoko in Harare
Jabu Shoko is the pseudonym of an IWPR-trained journalist in Zimbabwe.
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