Mugabe's ally ill-treated in New York

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed dismay over the disrespectful and undignified manner in which the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Simbarashe Mumbengegwi was subjected to on his return journey from New York, US, where he had attended the United Nations General Assembly.

Minister Mumbengegwi was denied diplomatic privileges which exempts VIPs from the rigorous and thorough searching procedures that are stipulated by the US.

Narrating his ordeal, Mumbengegwi said despite applying for the services well ahead of time, he was forced at the last minute to resort to the ordinary route after realising that his plane would soon leave without him.

He said the officials at the airport claimed they had not received the papers pertaining to the diplomatic service despite confirmation from the Zimbabwe Mission in New York that the minister had been cleared.

Under diplomatic courtesy and common practice, there is a provision that ministers should be escorted straight to their aircraft without going through ordinary procedures for other passengers.

Contacted for comment, a spokesperson for the US Embassy in Harare, Karen Kelley said she will have to verify from New York what really transpired.

Some analysts say the ill-treatment of the minister was a show of an angry response from the US government to President Robert Mugabe's speech at the General Assembly.

During the general debate of the 68th UN General Assembly, Mugabe slammed the United States, Britain and other big powers for bullying weaker nations.