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Zim Daily News - zimdaily news

Morgan wants diplomatic passport before coming home

 

By NOZIPHO MASEKO

Published: Wednesday 17 December 2008

 

ZIMBABWE - HARARE - Morgan Tsvangirai has said he will not come back to Zimbabwe until he gets a new passport.

 

Morgan Tsvangirai

Morgan Tsvangirai

 

 


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His Passsport has run out of pages while he was out of the country and he needs a new passport immediately, he told SW Radio Africa's Violet Gonda in an interview.

 

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Tsvangirai was incoherent when he was challenged by Violet to explain why he has deserted his flock and sought exile in a foreign country at a time his supporters were being abducted and extra judicially killed by the Mugabe regime.


Fifteen abducted MDC activists's whereabouts remain unknown.


"No the reason why I am out of the country is I left the country openly and I left the country on a diplomatic mission and the reason why I have not been in is because the government has denied me a passport," Tsvangirai said.

 

"I don’t have travel documents as I speak and I am waiting for my passport to be processed so that I can go back.

 

But I am not going to go back because people just want to see my presence. We have to go back because of work we must do internally, we have work we must do externally."

 

Tsvangirai, who is a special guest of Botswana President Ian Khama, did not explain why he did not return to the country prior to the expiry of his travel documents. Top MDC officials say there are security fears for Tsvangirai amid fears Mugabe was planning to declare a state of emergency and jail prominent opposition officials.

 

Tsvangirai was said to be fearing for his life, especially now during mysterious attacks on prominet officials. Zanu-PF political commissar Elliot Manyika has died in a mysterious car accident. Air force commander Perence Shiri has been shot under mysterious circumstances.


MDC secretary general Tendai currently faces treason charges related to announcing election results following a five-week hold up by the State elections body, ZEC.


The Mugabe government has staunchly refused to grant Prime Minister-designate Morgan Tsvangirai the symbolic privilege of holding a diplomatic passport.


Essentially Tsvangirai is threatening to boycott his swearing in ceremony which is supposed to immediately follow the gazetting of the Constitutional Amendment No. 19 Bill on Saturday.


Tsvangirai has been issued with an emergency travel document authorising travel on an ad hoc basis. The MDC leader is demanding that he be issued a new passport before making the trip to Zimbabwe. Tsvangirai has approached both the High Court and Supreme Court in Zimbabwe, which have both ruled that the matter was not urgent.


MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said the MDC leader deserved a diplomatic passport.
"The failure to issue a new passport to President Tsvangirai is an indication that Zanu-PF is not willing to proceed in the spirit of the agreement," Chamisa said.


He said the refusal to give a passport to Tsvangirai was just one in a catalogue of acts of bad faith by Mugabe and Zanu-PF. Chamisa said the MDC was aware that Tsvangirai's passport had been processed but was being withheld by the President's Office, which was refusing to authorise it.


 "Indeed, in a democracy, as Prime Minister-designate, President Tsvangirai would
have been issued with a diplomatic passport," Chamisa added.


A diplomatic passport confers a measure of respect on its holder and can help facilitate immigration and customs procedures.


Mugabe has unilaterally gazette a constitutional amendment expected to give legal force to the all-inclusive government. The MDC said there must be fair power-sharing first. Mugabe has 
Unilaterally declared that all key posts, including the home affairs ministry, bringing with it the control of the police, will go to Zanu-PF.


Tsvangirai and his MDC party won the most parliamentary seats in a March general election with the leader also winning the presidential poll but failing to treach a fifty percent thresold that would have allowed him to form his own government.

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A run off vote in June was fraudulently won by Mugabe after Tsvangirai withdrew citing violence and restrictions on his campaign.


Tsvangirai said he was doing everything in his power to ensure that he gets the travel documents and said SADC leaders knew this and had discussed the issue. He said he was  hopeful the SADC leaders will bring some sense to Mugabe to release his passport.


Asked why he was not with the people especially now when they are enduring the suffering from this regime, Tsvangirai retorted: "Well you see this is becoming an exasperating debate. I have a responsibility to lead the people.

 

I am not the one responsible for the crisis in Zimbabwe. The fact that we have been out there mobilising international opinion on the focus on the humanitarian crisis is in itself giving leadership to the crisis that the people are facing."


 

 

 

 

 

 

JOKE OF THE DAY - Amwe kule munyasarandi anga ari mu court nenyaya yeku rima mbanje mugarden. He was representing himself in court so the arresting officer was in the witness' box    

 

Kule: Shiri ikadya modzi yaguava ikanyira mugarden manga, mvura ikanaya, muti waguava wamera , adzvara muguava ndi'ani?  

 

Mupoti: Ndiii........


Kule: Usand'pindura!!  :grin:


Kule: Right toti shiri iya futi yadya modzi waaaaaa mutomato yonyira
mugarden manga futi, mvura yanaya, mutomato wamera, adzvara mutomato ndiyani?  

 

Mupoti: Hapaa......


Kule: Ndati usandipindura!!! :grin:


Kule: Toti again shiri iyaya futi yadya modzi wambanje yabururuka yauya ikanyira mugarden manga, mbanje wamera eeeh wakura, adzvara mbanje ndiyani?  CHINDIPINDURA!!!

 

 

Got a story, joke, quote, opinion or want your letter published, please e-mail Editor at editor@zimdaily.com

 


 

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