Zimbabwe has poured cold water on the idea of the United Nations helping to solve its economic and political problems, Harare’s Herald newspaper reported on Thursday.
”I am unaware of any UN intervention on Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is not a UN issue,” the paper’s website quoted Secretary for Information and Publicity George Charamba as saying.
”What I am aware of is a stale invitation, which was extended to the UN Secretary General [Kofi Annan] by President Robert Mugabe at the time of the clean-up operation.”
This operation entailed a demolition blitz last year to clear squatter camps and other informal settlements around Harare. It left an estimated 700 000 people homeless.
Charamba, who is also Mugabe’s spokesperson, said the situation has now changed,
”That clean-up operation long gave way to Operation Garikai/Hlalani Kuhle for the construction of houses for the displaced and homeless, thereby removing the original purpose of the invitation.”
South Africa’s President Thabo Mbeki told a British newspaper this week the UN is central to help turn around the situation.
”We are all awaiting the outcome of his intervention. What Mr Annan is interested in is that the circumstances must be created for Zimbabweans to face their real problems: the falling standard of living and so on,” Mbeki said.
”You need to normalise relations between Zimbabwe and the rest of the world. So, [Annan’s] interaction with the Zimbabwean government would be intended for those sorts of outcomes.”
Charamba said his country’s expectation had all along been that the UN should have challenged sanctions imposed against Zimbabwe by the European Union and the United States.
”Of course, we know the British and Americans have been trying to use the UN system to further their narrow foreign-policy goals. I doubt whether President Mbeki would want to be part of that intention.” — Sapa