Zimbabwe state media defend barring entry of top UN official (Extra)

Oct 29, 2009, 8:46 GMT

Harare - Zimbabwe's state media defended Thursday the barring of entry to the country of United Nations torture investigator Manfred Nowak, saying that he had tried 'to gatecrash' without permission.

The daily Herald, controlled by President Robert Mugabe's party, said that the United Nations special rapporteur on torture had 'tried to gatecrash into the country' after being told that his visit had been 'rescheduled' by the foreign ministry.

It quoted foreign ministry permanent secretary Joey Bimha as saying that the week-long visit by Nowak had been postponed because of a simultaneous visit by three Southern African foreign ministers to review the country's stricken coalition agreement.

'We informed Geneva and the UN office here that he should postpone his visit,' Bimha was quoted as saying.

Nowak had 'ignored' this communication and had 'tried to claim' he was coming to visit Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

Nowak said on Wednesday he had sought clarification from Tsvangirai, who replied with a later stating that he 'would be delighted' to meet Nowak in Harare Thursday.

However, immigration officials ignored Tsvangirai's letter and the UN official and his two assistants were forced to spend the night in Harare airport and board the first flight back to Johannesburg on Thursday.

Almost exactly a year ago, as Zimbabwe slumped into economic chaos and political violence, a visit by a delegation of The Elders grouping of leading statesmen was also 'postponed' at the last minute.

The Elders delegation had consisted of United States president Jimmy Carter, former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan and Graca Machel, activist and wife of former South African president Nelson Mandela.