Zimbabwe threatens diplomats with expulsion
Mugabe has taken his bizarre behaviour to new heights as he yesterday had all Western diplomats in Harare called in to see his Foreign minister, Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, who lambasted them for supporting the opposition and warned them to "shape up or ship out". The American Ambassador, Christopher Dell, was so infuriated that he walked out of the meeting.
He is apparently especially keen to expel the British and American Ambassador's."We have been basically told to stop meddling in Zimbabwe's internal affairs or get kicked out," said one diplomat, who asked not to be identified.
It is understood the diplomats were also warned against their continued interactions with opposition officials. They were ordered to stop visiting them and attending their court appearances. Those breaking the latest orders would face imminent expulsions.
What's hysterical about this kind of unhinged behaviour is how similar it is to your average Bush supporter when defending the Iraq war. The problem, you see, isn't in Mugabe's treatment of political opponents, the problem is what people are saying about Mugabe's treatment of political opponents. It's the Zimbabwean version of, "Why do they only tell the bad news stories?""If these two don't shut up from now, their expulsions are imminent," said a Zimbabwe foreign affairs official, who said "stern action" was being contemplated against Mr Dell for his walkout. He did not elaborate. Efforts to contact Mr Dell failed. He is due to leave Harare today and it is unclear whether he will return.
Mr Mugabe was particularly infuriated by the Western diplomats when they visited several police stations to try to locate the officials of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) who were arrested more than a week ago and whose whereabouts remains unknown. The diplomats summoned included those from Britain, the United States, Germany, Sweden, the European Union mission in Zimbabwe, Canada and Australia.
"Why do you always concentrate on all the people that I am beating up, why not tell the good news stories about the majority of the people who I am not beating up?"
Mugabe, like Bush supporters everywhere, seems to have forgotten that trees without cats needing rescued don't constitute stories.
On Saturday, Mr Mugabe told a meeting of his ruling party he will stand again in presidential elections next year and rule until 2014, by which time he will be 90.
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