President Robert Mugabe on Sunday postponed his usual reception before the opening of parliament this week, an event that some diplomats, civic leaders and opposition politicians had said they would boycott.
The government said Mugabe’s usual lavish reception that was to take place on Monday was ”postponed to a date to be advised.” However, military aircraft, horseback police and troops rehearsed for Tuesday’s ceremonial opening of the parliament by Mugabe, which hadn’t been cancelled.
All invitations to Monday’s event, including those to foreign diplomats, civic and business leaders and ruling party officials, were cancelled, it said. No reasons were given but opposition lawmakers, some diplomats and civic leaders said they would boycott it.
Mugabe’s support has plunged to its lowest as Zimbabwe faces its worst economic crisis since he led the nation to independence in 1980. Dwindling crowds have attended his recent ruling Zanu-PFparty rallies.
Lawmakers of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change have in the past boycotted Mugabe’s opening of parliament party and have walked out of the house when Mugabe began his opening speech.
At the annual state opening of the parliament two years ago Mugabe, riding in an open, vintage Rolls Royce used by colonial era British governors, was jeered by protesters.
Last year, police prevented demonstrations by sealing off the main square opposite the parliament building.
Zimbabwe is suffering acute shortages of hard currency, imports such as gas, medicines and food. Fuel shortages have crippled industry and transportation.
On the thriving black market, fuel and the staple, cornmeal, fetch five times the official price. The official exchange rate is 824 Zimbabwe dollars to the US dollar, but the American dollar buys up to Z$2 700 on the black market.
Part of the deepening economic crisis is blamed on the state program that seized thousands of white-owned commercial farms for redistribution to black settlers.
Foreign investment and aid has largely ended in protest of human rights abuses and the disputed presidential elections last year that gave Mugabe another six-year term in office. Zimbabwe’s opposition and Britain, the European Union and the United States have refused to recognise the poll results, saying they appeared
rigged.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell has called for Mugabe to step down and end his rule of ”tyranny” in Zimbabwe. Mugabe has been critical in return.
According to the independent Daily News on Sunday newspaper, Mugabe surprised even his own supporters and the state media with remarks at a rally before US President George Bush’s recent African trip.
The newspaper said on Sunday it obtained a recording of Mugabe’s speech at the rally in which he criticised pressure on his government by Britain, the former colonial ruler, and the United States.
”They will never attempt to do here what they did in Iraq because it is their children who will be the first to die,” Mugabe said, according to the newspaper, which translated his speech from the local Shona language.
He did not elaborate. The remark was seen as a threat to whites and their children in Zimbabwe which was even suppressed by the state media in its reports of the rally, the paper said. – Sapa-AP