"Thank heavens, McGee is going!" was the headline in the Herald newspaper, which also ran a vitriolic commentary about McGee’s two-year tenure in Harare.
The newspaper, a mouthpiece for Mugabe’s party, offered pity "to whatever country has the misfortune of hosting" McGee next.
It alleged that McGee, who is African-American, campaigned for the
ouster of Mugabe and was leaving Zimbabwe "bruised and battered"
because Washington was unable to stop the formation of a power-sharing
government between Mugabe and the long-time opposition movement.
"He never wanted it to happen for the simple reason that his brief was
to ensure that the ‘monster’ called Robert Mugabe was booted out of
office at all costs," the newspaper said.
"On the whole, [he] treated Zimbabweans as a bunch of kindergarten kids who do not know what is best for them."
Caution
McGee’s office said there were no plans to respond to the article. The ambassador leaves Zimbabwe in June.
The United States and other Western nations have viewed Zimbabwe’s
power-sharing coalition with caution and insist that any resumption of
aid and investment depends on democratic and economic reforms and the
restoration of the rule of law and human rights.
Little headway has been made on those conditions since the coalition
was sworn in February 16. Mugabe’s party is frequently at odds with his
former rival, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, and Tsvangirai’s former
opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change.
Violent seizures of white-owned farms, a policy began by Mugabe in
2000, have continued. The farmers support group Justice for Agriculture
reported on Wednesday that police opened fire on two white farmers
attempting to visit their seized land southwest of Harare, injuring two
workers, one seriously.
McGee, a harsh critic of Mugabe’s human rights record, was among those
voicing concerns that the new coalition left Mugabe with too much power.
The Herald said McGee, a Vietnam veteran and former pilot, fought "white America’s war" in Vietnam.
"This is a black man who, after bombing innocent villagers… can turn
around today and talk self righteously about political violence in
Zimbabwe without any shame," it said.
News24/Associated Press (AP)
Post published in: News