Because of the recent devastating earthquake his country had suffered he could, not sign the $5 653 000 grant that they had pledged to Zimbabwe, the weeping diplomat told guests because he had not “communicated” with his “boss, the Minister of Foreign Affairs” back in Japan.
“I am sorry but we will have to cancel this signing ceremony today. We thank all of you for coming here and we will have to reschedule this important event. I am very touched by the Government of Zimbabwe and all of you who continue to pray and offer us help, Morita said.
A high ranking official from the Japanese Embassy then told The Zimbabwean in an exclusive interview that there was now a new Minister of Foreign Affairs who had not yet sanctioned the grant project between Japan and Zimbabwe to help Zimbabwe’s children.
“In Japan, officials must be told what to do and what not to do, or they risk terrible consequences, he said.
“The Ambassador does not want to take any risks and because he has not been given the nod to go ahead with this function he simply cannot go ahead and has decided to cancel it instead.”
The official death toll from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami stood at 6 539 on Friday, making it Japan’s worst peacetime disaster, surpassing the 1995 Kobe earthquake.
More than 10 000 people are missing, many feared dead, and about 390 000 have been forced out of their homes.
Post published in: News