Ambassadors serve at the mercy of Mugabe

Zimbabwean diplomats around the world who face evictions over  rent arrears amounting to $7 million serve at the mercy of President Robert Mugabe, foreign minister has said.

The country's foreign missions were only allocated $3 million for rent in this year's budget despite the huge arrears.

MDC-T Matopo Senator Sithembile Mlotshwa had quizzed Foreign minister Simbarashe Mumbengwegwi as to why some embassies are not closed.

"My question is directed to the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.  Why do you as a Ministry still maintain in many missions, ambassadors instead of lower level diplomats when the country can ill afford to pay salaries for so many missions, which is an embarrassment to any already embarrassing Zimbabwe financial situation?" she asked.

In response, Mumbengegwi said the 'issue of ambassadors throughout the world is a prerogative of His Excellency the President'.

" Let me also say that the reason why we maintain ambassadors is that in spite of the economic challenges that we have, we still need to be able to relate to the rest of the world. 

"Their presence is actually in fulfillment of our national Constitution Chapter 2 that we must have a presence to promote and protect the interests of Zimbabwe.  So, the Ministry has of course done everything possible to try and streamline and downsize the structures at the Embassies.  However, at the end of the day His Excellency has the prerogative to determine where we need an ambassador or where we need a charge d'affaires".

Last year, parliamentarians toured several Zimbabwean embassies abroad and were shocked by the state of a building housing the country's mission in Ethiopia.

The building was crumbling due to lack of maintenance.

Zimbabwe has been going through an economic crisis for the last two decades, a situation that has been blamed on Mugabe's controversial policies.