Govt speaks on SB Moyo retracting his statement condemning US envoy Brian Nichols's

THE Government has dismissed reports that the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Dr Sibusiso Moyo has retracted or renounced his statement last week condemning the actions of US Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr Brian Nichols.

In his October 30 statement, Dr Moyo condemned Mr Nichols for over-stepping his mandate by dabbling in Zimbabwe’s internal politics in breach of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.The minister said the ambassador was engaging in a campaign to discredit the country by making counter- arguments on the effects of the punitive sanctions on the country.The timing of Mr Nichols’ campaign coincided with the preparations for the Sadc Anti-Zimbabwe Sanctions Day on October 25.

On Monday, however, some online publications published a story claiming that Dr Moyo had disowned the statement on Mr Nichols to some diplomats deployed in Zimbabwe.This was disputed by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Mr Shepherd Gwenzi, yesterday who described the reports as mischievous.“There are Press reports that have come to the attention of the Ministry suggesting that the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Lt Gen (Rtd) Dr S.B Moyo, disowned the statement he issued on 31 October 2019 on the recent conduct and statements of the Ambassador of the United States of America to the Republic of Zimbabwe His Excellency Brian A Nichols,” he said.“

For the record, the Honourable Minister has neither retracted nor renounced his statement.  The said reports are mischievous and should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve.”Dr Moyo said the US Ambassador’s statements violated diplomatic etiquette, were grossly partisan in nature and reflected a worrying lack of respect for the host Government.“Compounding these statements was the wholly unjustified imposition of US sanctions on the Honourable Owen Ncube, Minister of State Security,”

he said.Dr Moyo said while Zimbabweans are welcoming, tolerant and friendly people, it would be a mistake to misinterpret the qualities to mean weakness or that the Government would ignore or tolerate any form of insult and abuse.“International law helps us to draw a line between the function which a diplomatic mission may exercise and those that it may not.Furthermore, it establishes that, as sovereign nations, all countries in the world enjoy equal rights and protection.“Clearly, the Convention does not permit Embassies to conduct themselves like opposition citadels, pre-occupying themselves with the constant casting of aspersions,

innuendo and even insults at the host Government,” said Dr Moyo.“It follows, therefore, that the conduct of any diplomat which is openly inimical to the promotion of friendly relations is far removed from the core objectives of the Convention and cannot simply be ignored.Any conduct that violates the generally accepted and legally recognised functions of diplomats, constitutes the abuse of diplomatic privilege.”