DEAR EDITOR―It took a two-hour detention of Ambassador James McGee of the U.S. and his entourage, who were mistaken for journalists, to realise that people of his calibre should be dealing with higher level authorities and not with junior officers.
According to a recent online publication report, “US ambassador James McGee told the officers that diplomats were not obliged to deal directly with junior officers, but with their commanding officers or officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
Ambassador McGee is becoming a joke by his selective thinking and acting. I remember a recent newspaper report calling on McGee to engage with authorities rather than play partisan politics.
This man has transformed himself into an activist and seems to be spending more time outside diplomatic circles.
It is no wonder that he has met with junior officers, who in any case, are not supposed to know him or the rest of the diplomatic contingent that was with him when he was detained in Glendale.
What is also pathetic is that McGee had to lie that ambassadors from the United States, the UK, Japan, the Netherlands, the European Union and a representative of the Tanzanian high commissioner were his employees.
So McGee has become a liar, now?
McGee should realise that such altercations will continue if he continues to involve himself at the low level. I’m sure the US embassy in Zimbabwe has people who can be used as field officers and could collect evidence and compile reports for him.
The roadblock is no new issue in Zimbabwe. Everyone is stopped regardless, and the people at the roadblock should do their job and verify the identities of the people in the cars, as required by the law. It happens even in the U.K. when people are stopped.
A contingent carrying camera equipment and with many cars in the convoy, attracts the attention of the authorities. For the benefit of state security, all people should accept this as inevitable given the heightened security level in the country.
McGee is proving to be worse than his predecessor, Dell.
Joshua Mutembedzi London
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READER OPINIONS
samas • n/a Subject: Question for Sober Fri, 16 May 2008 10:40:55 • How can a person be wounded one way or the other? If a hospital is full of injured people, when no disaster has been experienced what answers do u have my dear apologist?
Omugabe • dziva@sanandresano.com Subject: Africa for Africans -- LOOK INWARD & 'LOOK EAST' ZIM PATRIOTS Wed, 14 May 2008 16:28:11 • If the FOREIGNERS misbehave and show disrespect of Zimbabweans, then they should be shown the door!
Zimbabweans and Africans in general cannot go to these people's country and behave in the manner in which the colonialists and their PAID APOLOGISTS believe that they can misbehave in Africa.
Zim Patriots should keep an eye on the FOREIGN SPIES & SABOTEURS.
And declare the personas non gratas when they insist on demonstrating a lack of respect for things Zimbabweans!
Zimbabweans should follow the lead of the Russians and EXPEL them!
These people ARE ENEMIES of Africans!
Friends of African WOULD NOT sanction Africans!
The Europeans people ARE HISTORICAL ENEMIES of Africans, and should be dealt with accordingly!
Sober • n/a Subject: Mcgee -fambira chimwe chete Wed, 14 May 2008 10:35:59 • Why should he lie? the question is, so how many more lies has he told the world- all in the hatred of the gvt?
He`s collating information of people who would have been wounded one way or the other and presenting them as victims of violence. who knows what exactly happened to those in hospital?
He should get a life - or if he cant, he must be asked to leave and go back to his country, zim doesnt need him
BODIDILEE, BULAWAYO • na.byo.com Subject: ARE WE STILL THAT FAR BEHIND THE TIMES? Wed, 14 May 2008 10:30:35 • A contingent carrying camera equipment and with many cars in the convoy, attracts the attention of the authorities...
The reason that journalists are moving in and out of ZW with excellent footage of what is happening inside the country is that cameras consist of tiny camcorders concealed in a pocket, or a handbag with a peephole, whilst our guys at the roadblocks are looking for huge shoulder-held cameras and other equally large pieces of film-making cinematography and recording equipment?
N/a • N/A Subject: Who said so? Wed, 14 May 2008 07:32:41 • Why are you rushing to defend actions of the junior officers, for the first time the news has just been reported as it is, no one has blamed the junior officers. Are you anticipating something? What difference does it make whether any other staff at the embassy or it is Mcgee himself collecting information? Why are you afraid of him?
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