Zimbabwe can block AU mission

HARARE – The government ‘has the right’ to block entry to Zimbabwe of a fact-finding mission of the Pan African Parliament, a lawmaker said, according to the state Sunday Mail newspaper.

Members of the continentwide parliamentary body agreed at a meeting in neighbouring South Africa last week to investigate conditions of political and economic turmoil by sending African legislators to the country, the paper said. But Zimbabwe lawmaker Joram Gumbo, who represented the ruling Zanu PF party at the meeting, described the organization as “a noisemaking body” with no legislative powers.Ruling party views were overwhelmed at the meeting by biased lobbying by the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change and other groups, Gumbo told the paper.The Pan African Parliament, a largely symbolic body of the African Union, was required to inform the government of its intention to send a delegation and “the government still has the right to bar the mission,” Gumbo said.In the past, the government has repeatedly turned away similar delegations.Several international labour groups invited by Zimbabwe’s main opposition-aligned labor federation have been barred entry at the main Harare airport and sent home on the next available flights.Nampa-APBut Zimbabwe lawmaker Joram Gumbo, who represented the ruling Zanu PF party at the meeting, described the organization as “a noisemaking body” with no legislative powers.Ruling party views were overwhelmed at the meeting by biased lobbying by the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change and other groups, Gumbo told the paper.The Pan African Parliament, a largely symbolic body of the African Union, was required to inform the government of its intention to send a delegation and “the government still has the right to bar the mission,” Gumbo said.In the past, the government has repeatedly turned away similar delegations.Several international labour groups invited by Zimbabwe’s main opposition-aligned labor federation have been barred entry at the main Harare airport and sent home on the next available flights.Nampa-AP