SOUTH AFRICA - Former South African Thabo Mbeki last minute intervention to secure Annan's humanitarian trip to Zimbabwe has been turned down by Zimbabwean authorities citing unspecified reasons.

 

Annan and a strong delegation comprising of Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Graca Machel (Mandela's Wife) said Saturday that he and others planning a humanitarian mission in Zimbabwe had been refused entry to the impoverished African country.

 

Annan is believed to have approached Mbeki after Zimbabwean authorities responded to their request via The State Controlled newspaper - The Herald.

 

Mbeki then practised his 'quiet diplomacy' and was told in no uncertain terms that the team could not visit Zimbabwe.

 

Mugabe accuses Kofi Annan of being sympathetic to the opposition while the opposition has called for Mbeki to be replaced as a mediator for siding with Mugabe.

 

One analyst branded Mugabe's arrogance as 'Total Madness'.

 

"This is a very dangerous error of judgement on Mugabe's part. Anyone who thinks Mugabe is fighting on the people of Zimbabwe's side must now be convinced without a shred of doubt we are dealing with mentally retarded 'idiot' masquarading as a President, ranted a Harare based political Analyst.

 

"These are elders with keys to the humanatarian aid the country needs to combat starvation we have seen in massive scale, cholera, and many problems facing the country". "

 

If you deny them the right to assess the situation, how do you expect millions suffering in Zimbabwe to be helped?", he added .

 

Jethro Muzambi - a Harare resident had this to say - "We cannot continue like this. Mugabe is simply saying Mandela go to hell! Annan go to hell! These are the most respected people in the world. If you cannot respect them as someone who claims to represent black Zimbabweans, who then would you respect?

 

Carter and two other members of The Elders group — former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and rights advocate Graca Machel, who is married to Nelson Mandela — had planned to assess the country's humanitarian needs as Zimbabweans are stalked by disease and hunger while political crisis occupies its politicians.

 

But they were told Friday night by former South African President Thabo Mbeki, who is mediating the political crisis, that efforts to secure travel visas for the group had failed, Carter told reporters at a news conference in Johannesburg.

 

"We are very disappointed that the government of Zimbabwe would not permit us to come in, would not cooperate," Carter said.

 

It was the first time the 2002 Nobel Peace laureate has been denied permission to carry out a mission in any country, he said.

 

Annan, also at the news conference, said no official reason had been given for the refusal.

 

He said they read about it in Zimbabwe's state-run Herald newspaper, which reported Thursday that the group had been asked to "come at a later date" to accommodate the crop planting season.

 

The article also said, however, that the group was seen as antagonistic toward Zimbabwe's government.

 

Government officials in Harare could not immediately be reached for comment Saturday.

 

The Elders humanitarian group, formed by Mandela, said the trip was entirely separate from regional attempts to get Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe and his rivals to implement a power-sharing agreement stalled since September.

 

The opposition accuses Mugabe, in power since independence from Britain in 1980 and seen as increasingly autocratic, of trying to hold onto the most powerful Cabinet posts.

 

The political impasse has left Zimbabwe without leadership as its economy collapses. The consequences are deadly — lack of cash to buy spare parts for and maintain water and sewer systems, for example, has led to a cholera outbreak in Harare, where the disease had until recent years not been a killer.

 

The World Health Organization said Friday that 294 people had died in a cholera outbreak."It seems obvious to me that the leaders of the government are immune to reaching out for help for their own people," Carter said.

 

The group members said they would continue efforts to address the humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe and planned to meet various organizations in South Africa.

 

Machel said she was denied a visa in July when she had planned to lead a women's delegation to Zimbabwe.

 

 

 

 

 

JOKE OF THE DAY

 

Grade 7 Zimsec Shona Paper 1 - 26 October 2008 (extract)

 

24. Mari itsva yakadhindwa paBond Paper neRBZ ndeipi?

A. $1,000.00
B. 20c
C. $50,000.00
D. Hapana

 

27. Passipoti yaMorgan Tsvangirai irikutadziswa neyi kubuda?

A. Haana kubvisa maUS$ arikudiwa naMudede
B. Hapana pikicha yake paApplication
C. Hakuna bepa rekudhinda Passipoti yake asi dzevamwe dzirikubuda.
D. Hapana

29. Joseph Chinotimba akakwana here?

A. Kwete
B. Kwete kani
C. Inga ndati kwete wani
D. Haa a mese naChiinotimba wacho hamuna kukwana.

30. MaZero akabviswa naGono weGonomics anodzoka rinhi?

A. PaKisimusi
B. Akadzoka kare
C. Panopera maTalks
D. Haana kwaakambengeaenda

31. PamaTalks pane munhu mumwechete anonokerwa nekupinda muHofisi. Arikungoti chero zvazvaita. Ndiani?

A. Robert Mugabe
B. Morgan Tsvangirai
C. Arthur Mutambara
D. Shuvai Mahofa

 

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