Charamba dismisses opposition attacks on Mugabe

THE Government has dismissed as shallow, attacks on President Mugabe by opposition functionaries following his weekend address at the airport where he said Africa might consider pulling out of the United Nations if the continent is not accorded two permanent seats in the world body's Security Council.

According to the State controlled media, President Mugabe's Press Secretary Mr George Charamba said the opposition exposed its little understanding of world affairs adding that the position in question was a continental position adopted in Swaziland.

He said the agreement that was known as the Ezulwini Consensus was not an invention by President Mugabe and it was shocking that the opposition came to know of it through President Mugabe's weekend address.

"There has been a very shallow response from the opposition to the President's address at the airport," he said.

"Firstly, the President was not developing a new idea. He was merely representing the position of Africa regarding changes we want to see happening in the Security Council. That position is now known as the Ezulwini Consensus. It was developed in Swaziland and we have spoken about it repeatedly.

"It's a continental position and that is what is going to be Africa's negotiation with the rest of the world in respect of the Security Council reforms.

"The Indians have their position, the Japanese have their own position, Latin America has its own position – similarly Africa has its own position, and it so happens that the President who was coming from the General Assembly reiterated, not invented, reiterated the position of Africa."

Mr Charamba said Africa's position was that the continent should get two seats with veto if veto was kept, or two seats without veto if the veto was abolished.

Following President Mugabe's address at the airport, members of various opposition political parties took turns attacking the Head of State and Government saying his views were not in order.

They interpreted his address as Zimbabwe's lone position when it comes to the reforms of the UN Security Council.