Harare — THE United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture Mr Mafred Nowack last night tried to gatecrash into the country as the Sadc Troika arrived to review the Global Political Agreement signed by Zanu-PF and the two MDC formations last year.
Mr Nowack, who was accompanied by two unidentified persons, was stopped at the Harare International Airport on arrival.
Government had already communicated to him that he would have to visit on a later date because the State was presently hosting foreign ministers from the Sadc Organ on Politics, Defence and Security.
Zimbabwe had invited him to the country but the visit was rescheduled because of the Sadc review, which is a GPA requirement and was agreed on at the last summit of regional Heads of State and Government in DRC.
Mr Nowack ignored this communication and insisted that he was coming to Zimbabwe.
It is understood that he tried to claim he was now coming to meet MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai.
The UN human rights expert had cleared immigration when Government officials whisked him off to the VIP Lounge.
He was reported to have been trying to get in touch with senior Government officials to get clearance into the country.
Sources said it was likely that he would be on the first flight back to South Africa this morning.
Government yesterday confirmed his visit had been rescheduled to accommodate the Sadc team.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Ambassador Joey Bimha yesterday said Government had informed the UN in Geneva and the world body's office in Harare that the UN Special Rapporteur on torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment Manfred Nowak could not visit now.
"We informed Geneva and the UN office here that he should postpone his visit," said Ambassador Bimha.
He said the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs had invited Mr Nowak to share experiences.
In a statement yesterday, the UN human rights office in Geneva said Mr Nowak, although welcoming the Sadc initiative and all efforts to resolve the problems in Zimbabwe, insisted on visiting and carrying out his mission.
"He also understands that the Sadc consultative process might lead to certain changes in his meetings with Government officials foreseen during his mission and offered his co-operation and flexibility to the Government in this respect.
"The Special Rapporteur therefore calls upon the Government of Zimbabwe to receive him in Harare and allow the mission to go ahead as planned," the UN office said.
Last night sources said Mr Nowak insisted he wanted to meet the MDC-T leadership to get information to authenticate the party's claims that its members and "human rights defenders" were being harassed, arrested, tortured and intimidated over the past few days.
Activists could be seen talking to foreign Press agents at the airport, slamming the rescheduling of the visit.
Over the past week, the foreign media have been making claims about State-orchestrated human rights abuses.
Meanwhile, some members of the Sadc Troika arrived in Harare last night.
The delegation was led by Mozambique's Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Oldemiro Baloi and included Sadc executive secretary Dr Tomaz Salamao.
Zambian Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Professor Fashion Phiri arrived earlier in the day by road while his Swazi counterpart Mr Lutho Dhlamini is expected in the country today.
Among the officials who arrived yesterday were facilitators to the dialogue that led to the formation of the inclusive Government, South Africa's Dr Frank Chikane and Advocate Manjaku Gumbi.
In an interview with The Herald on arrival, Dr Salamao said the Troika's visit had nothing to do with MDC-T's "disengagement" from Government and neither was it in response Mr Tsvangirai's recent tour of the region.
"We are here with the Troika. The Troika mission came here to tell the parties that we are reviewing the GPA," he said.
Dr Chikane simply said: "I am saying absolutely nothing."
The GPA provides for a periodical review of progress made by the parties to the arrangement every six months.
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ZANU-PF is a real shocker. This is when one wants to believe the late Muzenda when he said if ZANU PF gives you a baboon as a candidate you vote for it. No wonder Zimbabwe we are in the mess we are today. Leaving baboons to run the country down. This latest showdown with a respected UN expert is how baboons behave in their camp. Shame on you Chinamasa after all you are the one who had invited this gentleman to come over to Zim. He did not come on his own accrod but by invitation. What is it that you are so desparately trying to hide. Genocide dating back to 3 decades. No matter how long you make us suffer or try and hide the sick atrocities of ZANU PF its all in black and white and one of these days the chickens will come to roost. There is a God in heaven
ZANU-PF is a real shocker. This is when one wants to believe the late Muzenda when he said if ZANU PF gives you a baboon as a candidate you vote for it. No wonder Zimbabwe we are in the mess we are today. Leaving baboons to run the country down. This latest showdown with a respected UN expert is how baboons behave in their camp. Shame on you Chinamasa after all you are the one who had invited this gentleman to come over to Zim. He did not come on his own accrod but by invitation. What is it that you are so desparately trying to hide. Genocide dating back to 3 decades. No matter how long you make us suffer or try and hide the sick atrocities of ZANU PF its all in black and white and one of these days the chickens will come to roost. There is a God in heaven
ZANU-PF is a real shocker. This is when one wants to believe the late Muzenda when he said if ZANU PF gives you a baboon as a candidate you vote for it. No wonder Zimbabwe we are in the mess we are today. Leaving baboons to run the country down. This latest showdown with a respected UN expert is how baboons behave in their camp. Shame on you Chinamasa after all you are the one who had invited this gentleman to come over to Zim. He did not come on his own accrod but by invitation. What is it that you are so desparately trying to hide. Genocide dating back to 3 decades. No matter how long you make us suffer or try and hide the sick atrocities of ZANU PF its all in black and white and one of these days the chickens will come to roost. There is a God in heaven
ZANU-PF is a real shocker. This is when one wants to believe the late Muzenda when he said if ZANU PF gives you a baboon as a candidate you vote for it. No wonder Zimbabwe we are in the mess we are today. Leaving baboons to run the country down. This latest showdown with a respected UN expert is how baboons behave in their camp. Shame on you Chinamasa after all you are the one who had invited this gentleman to come over to Zim. He did not come on his own accrod but by invitation. What is it that you are so desparately trying to hide. Genocide dating back to 3 decades. No matter how long you make us suffer or try and hide the sick atrocities of ZANU PF its all in black and white and one of these days the chickens will come to roost. There is a God in heaven
Gatecrash? The man had an invitation from the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe? On whose authority was he denied entry? Funny the Herald calls it "gatecrashing", they spout the idiocy their lords tell them to.........
Yes, we all know, ZANU-Poof/Mugabe............
Funny, the Herald calls itself "the Newspaper of the Government of Zimbabwe", I thought that the Prime Minister was part of the Government of Zimbabwe.
But as we all know, he isn't, the JOC/CIO and Politburo of ZANU-Poof is the real goverment of Zimbabwe.......
"Total Empowerment!"
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