President Robert Mugabe’s government has always been at pains to explain to Zimbabweans the value of his numerous and unending foreign trips.
Comment: NewsDay Editor
Anyone who questions the President’s trips is always put down as a foreign policy ignoramus, despite there being nothing tangible to show for Mugabe’s jaunts.
While foreign policy may be a complicated subject, flying above the heads of laypeople, we feel the government owes Zimbabweans an explanation on why the First Family – Mugabe’s children and lately his grandson — are also part of the delegations for these trips and what benefits this brings to the country.
A few years back, pictures of Bona Mugabe-Chikore emerged where she was part of Mugabe’s delegation to Japan, yet the government was not forthcoming with explanations on what role she was playing there.
Mugabe’s last son, Bellarmine, was recently part of the President’s delegation to the Americas and we are not holding our breaths waiting for an explanation on what he was doing and why he was part of the delegation.
Then shockingly, this weekend, a video emerged of Bona and her son being introduced to the Malaysian Prime Minister’s wife, where we are made to believe Mugabe had gone on a State visit.
Just what role were the mother and son team playing in Malaysia and did they really need to be part of the President’s delegation?
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It is trite to mention that Mugabe travelled on public funds, meaning Bona also benefited from taxpayers’ money, yet her foreign policy role is as clear as mud.
To add to the callousness, First Lady Grace Mugabe and Bona did not mind being filmed, as if to illustrate that they really do not care how that video was to be received back home.
We have had issues with Mugabe’s travels and there is little to show for them so far, but to contend with his children and grandchild also being part of official delegations is a bridge too far.
Zimbabweans deserve answers on why Bona and her child were in Malaysia and who is funding them for such trips. If she were travelling on her own – not as part of an official delegation – then we would not ask questions, as she is entitled to go wherever she wants, whenever she wants.
But when she and her brother start featuring in official delegations, then the demand for answers is not misplaced. Foreign policy is a national issue and not a family one and no one can take Zimbabwe seriously when the President drags his whole family on such important trips.
