German embassy refuses visas to Zimbabwean officials

Jun 16, 2007, 9:51 GMT

Harare/Johannesburg - Zimbabwe will not send a delegation to an African Caribbean Pacific-European Union (ACP-EU) meeting in Germany next week after the German embassy in Harare denied visas to two senior Zimbabwean officials, a statement said Saturday.

Forbes Magadu, a senator for President Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party, and parliament's principal director for external affairs, Godfrey Chipare, have not been granted visas, said a statement from the clerk of parliament Austin Zvoma.

The two were due to travel to Germany to take part in the June 20- 28 ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.

Two other members of the Zimbabwean delegation - a ZANU-PF senator and Nelson Chamisa, the spokesman for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) - were given visas to travel.

Reacting furiously to the visa denials, Zvoma said Zimbabwe would now not take part in the ACP-EU meeting.

'The parliament of Zimbabwe categorically rejects attempts by the German authorities to dictate surreptitiously the composition of our delegation to the meetings. Consequently, all delegates are hereby advised that the parliament of Zimbabwe has decided not to send a delegation to these meetings,' he said.

Relations between Zimbabwe and EU countries, including Germany, have been strained for seven years now, since Mugabe launched his controversial programme of white land seizures and embarked on a clampdown on the opposition, rights groups and the free press.

The EU has a list of senior ZANU-PF figures, that includes Mugabe, who are forbidden entry to the bloc under travel sanctions. But Magadu and Chipare are not believed to feature on the list.

Back in March, Chamisa was badly beaten by suspected state agents as he tried to leave Harare International Airport for an ACP-EU meeting.

Meanwhile a 15-strong group of German journalists, photographers and tour operators were Friday due to embark on a government- sponsored tour of Zimbabwe until June 27.

Desperate to revive its failing tourist fortunes, the authorities have launched what they call a Perception Management Programme to try to lure visitors back to the once-prosperous southern African country.

The authorities say negative reports on Zimbabwe which have largely contributed to the scaring-off of potential visitors are a false creation by what they term a hostile Western media.