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Zimbabwe's Elections 2013 - Index of Articles
Most
African leaders absent from Mugabe bash
Dumisani Sibanda, NewsDay
August 23, 2013
http://www.newsday.co.zw/2013/08/23/most-african-leaders-absent-from-mugabe-bash/
Only six Heads
of State attended President Robert Mugabe’s inauguration in
Harare yesterday, out of the 40 that had been invited.
The sitting
Heads of State who graced the occasion were Sadc Troika immediate
past chairman Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, Armando Gubueza of Mozambique,
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasongo of Equatorial Guinea, Joseph Kabila
of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia
and Rajkeswur Purryag of Mauritius.
South African
President Jacob Zuma, who was the Sadc-appointed facilitator, did
not attend. He was represented by his deputy Kgalema Motlante, while
Zambian President Michael Sata sent his Vice-President Guy Scott.
Malawi President
Joyce Banda, who assumed the Sadc chairmanship last week, sent her
deputy Khumbo Kachali.
Swaziland was
represented by its Prime Minister Sibusiso Dlamini. Former presidents
of Botswana Festus Mogae and his predecessor Sir Ketumile Masire
and those of Zambia Kenneth Kaunda, South Africa’s Thabo Mbeki
and Namibia’s Sam Nujoma graced the occasion. Also in attendance
were Tanzania’s former presidents Benjamin Mkapa and Ali Hassan
Mwinyi.
President Mugabe
said the invitations of guests, including Heads of State, had been
left until late because there were issues to do with electoral petitions
that had to be concluded first. He apologised
for the short-notice invites and thanked those that had made it
to the occasion saying it “attests to the deep affinities
between you and ourselves”.
Meanwhile, MDC-T
leader Morgan Tsvangirai boycotted Mugabe’s inauguration saying
the big bash was meant to cover up the “grand electoral theft”.
Tsvangirai’s
spokesperson Luke Tamborinyika said the former Prime Minister still
maintained that the “election was stolen”.
“We are
clear the
election was stolen,” he said. “The massive show,
the grandeur that accompanied the inauguration is a massive attempt
to cover up the grand electoral theft. He (Tsvangirai) is spending
the day with his family at home in Highlands. We are not aware of
an official invitation for him to attend the event, but not that
it would have made any difference because he would still not have
attended.”
Tamborinyoka
said it was ironic that some people who came to the helm of their
countries when Mugabe was already president had left office and
yesterday came to witness the Zimbabwean leader’s inauguration
to an eighth term.
“The attendance
of Mwinyi and Mkapa who became presidents when Mugabe was already
in power is a subtle message to Mugabe that he should join them,”
said Tamborinyoka.
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