Government claims situation ‘normal’

HARARE – Zimbabwe has dismissed claims that things are falling apart in that country, saying the situation there is normal.

Zimbabwe’s Information and Publicity Minister, Dr Sikhanyiso Ndhlovu, told a news conference on Friday that the media is blowing events out of proportion. The Zimbabwean Minister also dismissed reports that Vice President Joyce Mujuru had resigned, and that the just ended extraordinary SADC Heads of State summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania was held to pressurise President Robert Mugabe to resign.”The government condemns in the strongest terms these deliberate attempts to distort the truth about the unfolding events in Zimbabwe and mislead the world into believing that things are falling apart in this country,” he said.”Any suggestion that things are otherwise is a deliberate misrepresentation of facts on the ground,” he said.Ndhlovu said the country’s detractors were peddling lies against Zimbabwe and its President in a bid to find means of coming back to loot its abundant resources.Commenting on last week’s SADC meeting, the minister said the summit was specifically for Heads of State to brief each other about economic and security situations in their respective countries.No Head of State of another country, he said, could make a decision for another head to step down.Only the people in that country were responsible for electing the President, he added.Meanwhile, the minister said the government was putting in place measures to cushion people from the rising cost of living and high inflation.At close to 2 000 per cent, inflation continues to wipe away the value of the local currency.”Government will not allow the people to suffer,” he said.Nampa-ZianaThe Zimbabwean Minister also dismissed reports that Vice President Joyce Mujuru had resigned, and that the just ended extraordinary SADC Heads of State summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania was held to pressurise President Robert Mugabe to resign.”The government condemns in the strongest terms these deliberate attempts to distort the truth about the unfolding events in Zimbabwe and mislead the world into believing that things are falling apart in this country,” he said.”Any suggestion that things are otherwise is a deliberate misrepresentation of facts on the ground,” he said.Ndhlovu said the country’s detractors were peddling lies against Zimbabwe and its President in a bid to find means of coming back to loot its abundant resources.Commenting on last week’s SADC meeting, the minister said the summit was specifically for Heads of State to brief each other about economic and security situations in their respective countries.No Head of State of another country, he said, could make a decision for another head to step down.Only the people in that country were responsible for electing the President, he added.Meanwhile, the minister said the government was putting in place measures to cushion people from the rising cost of living and high inflation.At close to 2 000 per cent, inflation continues to wipe away the value of the local currency.”Government will not allow the people to suffer,” he said.Nampa-Ziana