News / National
Mugabe aides on US shopping spree
23 Sep 2014 at 12:16hrs | Views
MEMBERS of President Robert Mugabe's estimated 100-member entourage to the United Nations General Assembly in New York yesterday flaunted their penchant for merry-making and shopping around for expensive designer suits in New York, drawing the ire of locals who took to social media to vent their anger.
That Mugabe's aides and hangers-on usually take time for such trips to shop and enjoy taxpayers' money had remained speculation, but yesterday, Zanu PF shadow MP for Hatfield Ace Lumumba exposed the massive shopping, wining and dining by some of the Zimbabwean delegates in New York for the UN General Assembly.
Lumumba, who lost in the July 2013 harmonised elections to MDC-T's Tapiwa Mashakada, exposed the lavish lifestyle Mugabe's bloated team was leading starting from the plane through his Facebook posts. The youthful party activist is also chairman for Harare Youth Council.
Some of his posts read: "Today at work: Spent the day with mentor [Environment] minister Saviour Kasukuwere being taught the ropes of UN (sic), went to Ralph Lauren Studios to try on some suits, am very ready for day 1 tomorrow."
It was not clear how many officials Mugabe took with him, but according to pictures posted, dozens of people accompanied the President to New York, including some of his family members. Usually, the 90-year-old Zanu PF leader travels around with a delegation of around 100 aides when going on such trips, with all of them entitled to hefty subsistence allowances.
Mugabe flew out to New York on Saturday where he joined world leaders for the 69th session of the UN General Assembly. Today, he is expected to attend the Climate Summit before the General Assembly tomorrow.
Lumumba's post angered hundreds of people on social media who questioned his wisdom of doing such things in an impoverished country.
However, Lumumba could not take it lying as he shot back saying: "If you have a problem with me call me, if you don't have my number, you don't know me well enough to have a problem with me so take it easy."
That Mugabe's aides and hangers-on usually take time for such trips to shop and enjoy taxpayers' money had remained speculation, but yesterday, Zanu PF shadow MP for Hatfield Ace Lumumba exposed the massive shopping, wining and dining by some of the Zimbabwean delegates in New York for the UN General Assembly.
Lumumba, who lost in the July 2013 harmonised elections to MDC-T's Tapiwa Mashakada, exposed the lavish lifestyle Mugabe's bloated team was leading starting from the plane through his Facebook posts. The youthful party activist is also chairman for Harare Youth Council.
Some of his posts read: "Today at work: Spent the day with mentor [Environment] minister Saviour Kasukuwere being taught the ropes of UN (sic), went to Ralph Lauren Studios to try on some suits, am very ready for day 1 tomorrow."
It was not clear how many officials Mugabe took with him, but according to pictures posted, dozens of people accompanied the President to New York, including some of his family members. Usually, the 90-year-old Zanu PF leader travels around with a delegation of around 100 aides when going on such trips, with all of them entitled to hefty subsistence allowances.
Mugabe flew out to New York on Saturday where he joined world leaders for the 69th session of the UN General Assembly. Today, he is expected to attend the Climate Summit before the General Assembly tomorrow.
Lumumba's post angered hundreds of people on social media who questioned his wisdom of doing such things in an impoverished country.
However, Lumumba could not take it lying as he shot back saying: "If you have a problem with me call me, if you don't have my number, you don't know me well enough to have a problem with me so take it easy."
Source - newsday
