Zanu (PF) in cloud cuckoo land: Coltart

Zimbabwean

By Vusimusi Bhebhe

31st August 2011

Zimbabwe’s Education Minister David Coltart has accused Zanu (PF) of living in cloud cuckoo land and refusing to accept the reality of an unfolding African people-led revolution that has seen unprecedented political change across the continent.

Commenting on Zanu (PF)’s angry reaction to last week’s decision by Libyan ambassador Taher Elmagrahi to defect to the rebel-led National Transitional Council, Coltart said President Robert Mugabe’s party was unwisely refusing to smell the coffee and learn from events elsewhere in Africa.

Elmagrahi had earlier joined other embassy staff and Libyan nationals on August 24 in chanting freedom songs as they burned the green flag synonymous with the regime of ousted Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

They replaced the flag with the red, black and green banner that was used by the Kingdom of Libya before Gaddafi changed it after seizing power in 1969.

The Zanu (PF) wing of Zimbabwe’s shaky coalition government ordered Elmagrahi to leave the country last week, insisting that the envoy lost his diplomatic privileges after declaring his allegiance to the NTC.

Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Joey Bimha said Elmagrahi was no longer recognised as Libyan ambassador since the NTC had no legal status in Zimbabwe.

“Zanu (PF)’s reaction to the fall of Gaddafi shows how out of touch with reality they are. They still don’t understand the lifeline given them,” Coltart said, apparently referring to a compromise power-sharing agreement brokered by former South African president Thabo Mbeki in 2008 to accommodate Mugabe and his party after they lost elections earlier that year.

The Libyan embassy was later forced to pull down the NTC’s flag.

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