Robert Mugabe's spokesman on Friday defended the dictator's outrageous comments that 'there is no cholera' in Zimbabwe, amid numerous warnings that the cholera crisis is in fact worsening.
During a speech at Heroes Acre on Thursday, Mugabe used the opportunity to once again denounce the West for calling on him to step down from power, and went as far as to accuse Western leaders of using the deadly cholera outbreak as an excuse to invade Zimbabwe. During the public broadcast Mugabe insisted that cholera had been 'arrested,' and therefore the West's 'cause' for military intervention did not exist anymore.
His comments came shortly before the United Nations announced the official death toll from the disease had reached 783 deaths, although it is believed the 'unreported' death toll is closer to 3000 deaths. On Friday Mugabe's spokesman, George Charamba moved to defend Mugabe and told the government mouthpiece Herald newspaper that Mugabe was using 'sarcasm' when he claimed Zimbabwe had defeated the epidemic. Charamba, in typical ZANU PF style, accused Western media of distorting the octogenarian leader's remarks, in an effort to 'advance the war and regime change agenda of their expansionist governments.'
Charamba said that Mugabe used sarcasm to make his argument, "noting that now that efforts deployed so far towards containing the outbreak were beginning to yield results." But it would appear Charamba himself is riding Mugabe's wave of denial, as aid organisations have since warned that the cholera crisis is worsening.
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has warned the crisis is not under control, and announced it will provide US$6.2m to fight the cholera outbreak in addition to the US$4.6m already spent. At the same time, UK based aid group Save the Children on Thursday said the crisis was set to worsen. The organisation's Sarah Jacobs explained on Friday that the proportions of the crisis are 'overwhelming,' and added the crisis is 'very clearly not over.' Jacobs emphasised that the cholera epidemic is being made worse by the desperate food shortages across the country, and argued that only a small percentage of the country's hungry are receiving food aid.
"The situation in Zimbabwe is clearly in freefall, but the humanitarian situation is much worse," Jacobs said.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe government has denied visas to a French team of specialists standing by to help stem the cholera outbreak. The team included three specialists from the French Foreign Ministry's crisis centre, two epidemiologists, and a water treatment expert. The Ministry spokesman, Frederic Desagneaux, on Thursday said his country "strongly regrets this decision, and calls on Zimbabwe's authorities to allow aid to reach the population."
Comments 1 to 2 of 2 Post a comment
There is no doubt in my mind that Mugabe has mental problems or his advisers could be having mental problems themselves. His speech at the heroes acre never at all denounced the violence that his dead man committed, also he he never acknowledged the shortcomings of his government which failed to maintain an acceptable level clean water and sanitation levels. Mugabe forgets that the majority of Zimbabweans have said step down not USA on Europe it is who are saying that. Those countries mirrior our wishes as Zimbabweans.
Old dottering Bob really doesn't know there is a Cholera problem. Old Bob stumblings around saying things are ok. This is your leader Zimbabwe, an over the hill who needs to be put out to pasture...Time for Zims to show some backbone and do what is right.