Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Mabasa Sasa
14 May 2008
Harare — UNITED States Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr James McGee, who has been on a spirited campaign to demonise the Government ahead of the presidential election run-off, yesterday circumvented diplomatic protocol and went on a "fact-finding mission" to support his claims of political violence against the opposition.
Ambassador McGee breached the 40km radius outside Harare and went as far as Glendale near Bindura, without making prior arrangements with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as required and spent about an hour arguing with police manning a roadblock who had stopped his convoy which included journalists from the private media.
He was reportedly on his way to Centenary, some 150km outside Harare, where hired journalists were supposed to film "Zanu-PF violence against the opposition MDC-T".
Police stopped him to establish whether the Government was aware of his whereabouts.
Although police yesterday said they were still investigating the incident, which must have embarrassed Mr McGee, Secretary for Information and Publicity Cde George Charamba described the incident as a matter of grave concern.
"In Zimbabwe even mighty America is not above the law of the land. We have rules and regulations and his predecessor (Ambassador Christopher Dell) should have told him that," Cde Charamba said.
The protocol is an internationally recognised security measure.
The presence of several journalists from private-owned media houses in his convoy appeared to confirm suspicions that the "fact-finding missions" have largely been stage-managed to come up with "cooked-up evidence" of political violence as claimed by MDC-T.
Yesterday, Ambassador McGee wanted to travel to Centenary in Mashonaland Central Province, where he intended to visit hospitals that MDC-T claimed were treating the party's supporters who were allegedly assaulted by Zanu-PF and Government agents.
He, however, was stopped at a roadblock near Glendale where police asked him to produce a note from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirming his journey and actions.
It is understood that Ambassador McGee argued with the police for an hour, after which he was escorted back to Harare.
In October 2005, the then US representative in Harare, Dell was detained for around half an hour by police after trespassing into a security area in the National Botanical Gardens.
US Embassy spokesperson Mr Paul Englestad was last night quoted by Internet news sites saying police made it clear they were not going to arresthim.
Government insiders last night said they were now sure that the "fact-finding missions" being undertaken by the US Embassy were choreographed.
"You will notice that Ambassador McGee has been quick to visit places that MDC-T claims its supporters are being victimised but he has not shown any consideration for those documented cases where opposition hooligans have burnt houses belonging to Zanu-PF supporters.
"And it is weird that he has in tow a chain of journalists who are there to publicise the 'evidence' McGee will have found and it is all very suspicious," the insiders said.
Meanwhile, Ambassador McGee has admitted that Washington is sponsoring the opposition, albeit indirectly, through civil society and tried to claim that the US should take credit for South Africa's independence, despite the fact that up until a week ago America still officially considered the ruling ANC a terrorist.
In a transcript of an interview he had with UK-based radio station SW Radio Africa on May 9, 2008, Ambassador McGee insisted that the US would continue to meddle in Zimbabwe's internal affairs regardless of Sadc's mediation as led by South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki.
"First of all, we do not sponsor any political parties. We work with NGOs, we work with civil societies, and we work with democratic-minded groups in Zimbabwe. But we do not work, we do not sponsor, we do not provide funding to any political party in Zimbabwe.
"What I can say is that we are working with civil society in Zimbabwe, as I said we do not provide funding for any particular party. If President Mbeki feels that his efforts have been hampered by our interest in what's happening here in Zimbabwe I would ask him to recall the struggles that went on in South Africa recently, as recently as 14 years ago, when the United States again played a very, very critical role in bringing South Africa its day of independence," he is quoted as saying.
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