Some Zimbabweans Support U.S. Move to Snub Mugabe
Zimbabwe's deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Chris Mutsvangwa says America has the right to choose countries it wants to associate with.
HARARE — Some Zimbabweans say United States President Barack Obama did well in not inviting President Robert Mugabe to his historic US-Africa Summit that kicked off in Washington Monday. They told the Voice of America Washington was right to snub President Mugabe who is not among African leaders attending the meeting in the US capital. Titus Gobvu claims President Mugabe’s administration continues to violate people’s rights in the country and should be left out of such international forums. President Mugabe’s government has dismissed the summit saying the country will not lose anything by not being represented at the meeting. Opposition activist Yvonne Musarurwa, who is facing murder charges for allegedly killing a police officer, says other world leaders should emulate America and block Mr. Mugabe from traveling to their countries. She said Mr. Mugabe should not enjoy the freedom of what she termed ‘globe-trotting’ when his government is allegedly subjecting citizens to abject poverty. James Chidhakwa, the defense secretary in the youth wing of the MDC formation led by former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, said Zimbabwean youth are the major losers in Washington’s decision to snub Zimbabwe. However, deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Chris Mutsvangwa says America has the right to choose countries it wants to associate with. Mutsvangwa said Harare is doing all it can to normalize relations with Washington. He said the country is being punished for embarking on land reforms in 2000 that displaced thousands of former white commercial farmers and their laborers. The Summit is expected to tackle issues affecting the youth on the African continent as well as strengthening economic and political ties between Washington and the rest of Africa. The summit is the first of its kind to be convened by an American President.