A DAY after a meeting in Harare between Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and UN Security Council ambassadors ended in a heated argument, an explanation has emerged as to the cause of the outburst.
Journalists waiting outside the meeting on Monday in Mugabe’s office heard the diplomatic encounter degenerate into a shouting match but were unable to hear the Zimbabwean leader’s actual words.
Sources present at the encounter, which was aimed at accelerating the peace process in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Zimbabwe has troops, explained over cocktails on Tuesday night that the row began when US Ambassador Richard Williamson delivered a bilateral message from Washington.
Williamson reiterated his government’s sentiment that Mugabe’s recent election victory fell far short of being free and fair and that the attendant abuse and killings of farmers and repression of the media were beyond the pale, the sources said.
Suddenly snapping out of a rather convivial mood, Mugabe rose to his feet, barely able to control his rage.
”Well I don’t think George Bush won the US election!” he thundered.
”But I accepted the victory after the Supreme Court ruling.”
He continued in this excited vein for a good 10 minutes, the sources said.
Asked if anything else of note occurred on Monday evening, one diplomat present said: ”Not really. But he did serve us fish fingers.” – Sapa-AFP