The Zimbabwe Advocacy Office, whose partners include the World Student Christian Federation, said in a statement Oct. 9 it had been asked to comment on Mugabe’s attendance at the ITU Telecom World meeting in Geneva Oct. 5-9.
“Even though President Mugabe and about 213 other members of his party are under restrictive travel, financial, and arms trade measures imposed by the Swiss Federal Government and the EU, the people of Zimbabwe themselves are not under any international sanctions,” said the Zimbabwe Advocacy Office.
The ZAO urged the media and international community not to be distracted by “futile debates” on whether or not “Mugabe and other repressive leaders should attend UN events,” but to focus on challenging them “with facts and evidence of the widespread suffering being caused by their anti-democratic rule.”
Mugabe’s participation in the global communications forum held in Geneva drew criticism from some participants and human rights groups as Switzerland, like the European Union, has banned travel by Mugabe and other top officials of his Zanu-PF party.
Mugabe accused unnamed Western broadcasters “bent on effecting regime change in Harare” of violating the country’s sovereignty with their programs.
But the ZAO said, “Whilst President Mugabe predictably used this opportunity to rail against Western ‘sanctions’ and independent media in Zimbabwe, long-suffering Zimbabwean families would derive no economic benefit whatsoever from this latest international presidential trip.
“It is more critical to point out that the policies and mismanagement of national wealth by members of the Zanu-PF-led government have directly led to the economic collapse in the country,” said the ZAO.
Mugabe’s party has been accused of hanging on to power, even though it lost parliamentary election in 2008. The ZAO said Mugabe’s party is reluctant “to implement the 2008 Global Political Agreement in earnest.”
It noted there are only 2.8 telephone lines for every 100 Zimbabweans and only 1.1 Internet hosts for every 1,000 Zimbabweans. “On top of this, the government continues to monopolize the airwaves.”
The Zimbabwe Advocacy Office is an independent organization in which the Foundation for Partnership and Development in Africa, the World Student Christian Federation and Swiss-based Zimbabwean human rights defenders work.
