: Row brews over EU, SA posts

Row brews over EU, SA posts
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Herald Reporter on 30 November, 2009 12:39:00
 
MDC-T is eyeing both diplomatic postings for its own members.
The Brussels post — which covers the European Union, Belgium, the Netherlands
and Luxembourg — fell vacant when Ambassador Hurudza Punungwe died in October
this year.
The diplomatic posting in Pretoria is likely to fall vacant in January 2010 when
the incumbent, Ambassador Simon Khaya Moyo, is expected to return home to take
over Zanu-PF’s national chairmanship, which is a full-time job.
Cde Khaya Moyo is set to leave South Africa once his nomination is endorsed by
congress this month.
MDC-T has targeted these posts and is understood to be facing stiff resistance
from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which says these are senior missions and
should not be apportioned on political lines.
Foreign Affairs Ministry officials have said it would not be proper to appoint
ambassadors to these countries on a partisan basis and these should instead go
to career diplomats.
Yesterday MDC-T spokesperson Mr Nelson Chamisa confirmed to The Herald that his
party was eyeing Brussels and Pretoria.
"Ours is an inclusive arrangement premised on the principle of sharing of
authority and responsibilities.
"As such, the matter you are referring to is part of the ongoing (inter-party)
discussions with view to locating common understanding of sharing and
inclusivity," he said.
Asked to if was true that MDC-T wanted both Pretoria and Brussels, Mr Chamisa
said: "Yes, sharing has to be total. But these are matters under discussion and
I cannot divulge details."
Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi yesterday said he was not aware
of any lobbying on MDC-T’s part for these diplomatic postings.
However, a Foreign Affairs official yesterday said: "They (MDC-T) wrote to
Government representatives of the countries concerned and told them not to
accept an ambassador who they as a party did not approve of.
"Initially, they were doing this secretly but the nature of diplomacy entails
that such communications come back to us.
"Brussels informed us of the communication they received and asked us if this
was the official Government position."
The official said their rules and procedures required that the heads of mission
to such countries, especially the EU, be experienced foreign service officers
with the "relevant experience".
"It is dangerous to give such postings to inexperienced personnel.
"Next we will be asked to send political commissars to represent the country at
the United Nations and that cannot do," said the official.
He said apart from Pretoria and Brussels, other senior diplomatic postings were
New York, Washington, London and Geneva (UN).
In August this year five MDC-T and MDC members were nominated for
ambassadorships to various countries in line with the GPA. MDC-T nominated
Hebson Makuvise (Germany), Hilda Suka-Mafukidze (Sudan), Jacqueline Nomhla
Zwambila (Australia) and Mabed Khumbulani (Nigeria), with MDC settling for Trudy
Stevenson (Senegal).
These will be posted to their respective bases this month after completing their
diplomatic training in October.
However, the ambassadors-designate are already embroiled in controversy after
they flew out to the Czech Republic on a trip that was not sanctioned by the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.