News / National
Mutambara kicks out German envoy
24 Jan 2013 at 09:03hrs | Views
Deputy Premier Arthur Mutambara ejected German ambassador to Zimbabwe Hans Gunter Gnodkte from his office last week, after he protested the seizure of Save Valley Conservancies protected under bilateral agreements.
Gnodkte confirmed to the Daily News that Mutambara had abruptly terminated their meeting.
"What I can say is I had a scheduled meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister last week on Friday," Gnodkte said.
"I had asked to meet him in his capacity as the chairperson of the ministerial committee that is trying to find a solution to the problems in the Save Wildlife Sanctuary.
"You might be aware that a German, Wilfried Pabst is a major investor in the conservancy and is protected by Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements (BIPPAs). The meeting raised controversial issues and the DPM abruptly ended it."
The German envoy refused to state what exactly had caused the diplomatic tiff.
Insiders told the Daily News Mutambara had blown his top after the illegal expropriations were raised in the meeting.
"Mutambara threw the German ambassador out of his office in the presence of the European Union Ambassador," our source said.
"Both were making representations on the issue of government or National Parks continuing to illegally hold back hunting permits for the Save Valley as well as the Bubye Conservancy. I understand the PM apologized but the DPM was out of control."
The fight has also reportedly attracted the attention of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who is now trying to mediate.
Two weeks ago, Gnodtke warned that his country and other European countries may boycott the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) general assembly to be co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Zambia in August, in protest over the decimation of the Save Valley conservancies, properties protected under overseas government-to-government agreements.
Mutambara meanwhile would not be drawn into commenting about the stand-off, despite promises since last Saturday to return calls.
Tsvangirai's spindoctors were unreachable yesterday as they were away in Davos Switzerland attending the World Economic Forum.
Mutambara heads a ministerial committee that is supposed to find a solution to the emotive issue of the Save wildlife sanctuary - currently under siege from a group of Zanu PF politicians now known as the "Masvingo 37".
The group is invading the private properties under a murky policy known as the wildlife-based land reform.
Tourism minister Walter Mzembi fighting to preserve and even grow the country's battered image ahead of the UNWTO tourism extravaganza.
Germany Economic and Co-operation Minister Mr Dirk Niebel recently met Vice President Joice Mujuru where he raised concerns about the safety of Berlin's investments in Zimbabwe, principally the Save Valley Conservancy.
Mr Niebel also met Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Finance Minister Tendai Biti and conveyed the same message on investment. Save Valley Conservancy has come under the spotlight in view of the country's indigenisation policies with villagers living around the area pushing for enforcement of the law to the conservancies.
However, the Zanu-PF Politburo had taken a position that it should be converted to a national park. Sources close to the VP's meeting with the German Minister told The Herald that Mr Niebel said his government wanted to fund relocation of animals from the Save Valley Conservancy to the Gonarezhou Trans Frontier Park. By doing so, the Germans wanted to be part of the frontier park. It is understood that VP Mujuru emphasised to Mr Niebel that Germany must not be worried about the animals but instead improve the livelihoods of black Zimbabweans living around the conservancy who do not seem to matter in the German scheme of things.
She said these people have been under sanctions since 2000 and struggling to put irrigation schemes in a delicate ecological region such as Masvingo.
"VP Mujuru emphasised the need to fund the development of landless communities adjacent to Save Valley so that they have a viable livelihood thereby bringing a balance to the pursuits of the conservancy and the villagers.
"He (Mr Niebel) was told that until the livelihoods of landless communities are stabilised the prospects of the conservancy remain dim," said the source.
Prior to his visit Mr Niebel told the Germany press that he did not wish to meet President Mugabe.
Reacting to his comments, Presidential spokesperson Mr George Charamba said Mr Niebel was a mere minister who is not the Head of State's equivalent.
"He is not the equivalent of the President but he is also a guest in the country. It is not quite mannerly to make those statements about the Head of State of Zimbabwe.
"Anyway he has met the President's deputy which does not quite uphold his boycott position, does it?
"Maybe the real significance of the minister's visit does not lie in who he has met or in who he does not want to meet. It lies in that he has visited the country after such a long self-imposed ban," he said.
Mr Charamba said the Germans were not doing Zimbabwe a favour by visiting the country after such a long time.
It is understood that Germany had mining interests in Zimbabwe and it was not happy to be a mere bystander in the lucrative diamond business booming in Zimbabwe.
After meeting VP Mujuru, Mr Niebel said he told journalists that he requested for Government approval to allow observers outside Sadc and the African Union to be part of next year's election observers. This is despite that Zimbabwe is not being invited to observe elections in European countries.
"We asked Government to allow international observers not only those from Sadc and the African Union for next year's elections," he said.
"The Vice President told us that Government was still discussing that issue."
However, Mr Charamba said: "Parties to the political dispute in Zimbabwe can not observe elections. They have taken a partisan position."
Gnodkte confirmed to the Daily News that Mutambara had abruptly terminated their meeting.
"What I can say is I had a scheduled meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister last week on Friday," Gnodkte said.
"I had asked to meet him in his capacity as the chairperson of the ministerial committee that is trying to find a solution to the problems in the Save Wildlife Sanctuary.
"You might be aware that a German, Wilfried Pabst is a major investor in the conservancy and is protected by Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements (BIPPAs). The meeting raised controversial issues and the DPM abruptly ended it."
The German envoy refused to state what exactly had caused the diplomatic tiff.
Insiders told the Daily News Mutambara had blown his top after the illegal expropriations were raised in the meeting.
"Mutambara threw the German ambassador out of his office in the presence of the European Union Ambassador," our source said.
"Both were making representations on the issue of government or National Parks continuing to illegally hold back hunting permits for the Save Valley as well as the Bubye Conservancy. I understand the PM apologized but the DPM was out of control."
The fight has also reportedly attracted the attention of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who is now trying to mediate.
Two weeks ago, Gnodtke warned that his country and other European countries may boycott the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) general assembly to be co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Zambia in August, in protest over the decimation of the Save Valley conservancies, properties protected under overseas government-to-government agreements.
Mutambara meanwhile would not be drawn into commenting about the stand-off, despite promises since last Saturday to return calls.
Tsvangirai's spindoctors were unreachable yesterday as they were away in Davos Switzerland attending the World Economic Forum.
Mutambara heads a ministerial committee that is supposed to find a solution to the emotive issue of the Save wildlife sanctuary - currently under siege from a group of Zanu PF politicians now known as the "Masvingo 37".
The group is invading the private properties under a murky policy known as the wildlife-based land reform.
Tourism minister Walter Mzembi fighting to preserve and even grow the country's battered image ahead of the UNWTO tourism extravaganza.
Mr Niebel also met Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Finance Minister Tendai Biti and conveyed the same message on investment. Save Valley Conservancy has come under the spotlight in view of the country's indigenisation policies with villagers living around the area pushing for enforcement of the law to the conservancies.
However, the Zanu-PF Politburo had taken a position that it should be converted to a national park. Sources close to the VP's meeting with the German Minister told The Herald that Mr Niebel said his government wanted to fund relocation of animals from the Save Valley Conservancy to the Gonarezhou Trans Frontier Park. By doing so, the Germans wanted to be part of the frontier park. It is understood that VP Mujuru emphasised to Mr Niebel that Germany must not be worried about the animals but instead improve the livelihoods of black Zimbabweans living around the conservancy who do not seem to matter in the German scheme of things.
She said these people have been under sanctions since 2000 and struggling to put irrigation schemes in a delicate ecological region such as Masvingo.
"VP Mujuru emphasised the need to fund the development of landless communities adjacent to Save Valley so that they have a viable livelihood thereby bringing a balance to the pursuits of the conservancy and the villagers.
"He (Mr Niebel) was told that until the livelihoods of landless communities are stabilised the prospects of the conservancy remain dim," said the source.
Prior to his visit Mr Niebel told the Germany press that he did not wish to meet President Mugabe.
Reacting to his comments, Presidential spokesperson Mr George Charamba said Mr Niebel was a mere minister who is not the Head of State's equivalent.
"He is not the equivalent of the President but he is also a guest in the country. It is not quite mannerly to make those statements about the Head of State of Zimbabwe.
"Anyway he has met the President's deputy which does not quite uphold his boycott position, does it?
"Maybe the real significance of the minister's visit does not lie in who he has met or in who he does not want to meet. It lies in that he has visited the country after such a long self-imposed ban," he said.
Mr Charamba said the Germans were not doing Zimbabwe a favour by visiting the country after such a long time.
It is understood that Germany had mining interests in Zimbabwe and it was not happy to be a mere bystander in the lucrative diamond business booming in Zimbabwe.
After meeting VP Mujuru, Mr Niebel said he told journalists that he requested for Government approval to allow observers outside Sadc and the African Union to be part of next year's election observers. This is despite that Zimbabwe is not being invited to observe elections in European countries.
"We asked Government to allow international observers not only those from Sadc and the African Union for next year's elections," he said.
"The Vice President told us that Government was still discussing that issue."
However, Mr Charamba said: "Parties to the political dispute in Zimbabwe can not observe elections. They have taken a partisan position."
Source - DN
