Hardly at home this year, Mugabe is now disparagingly referred to as “the visiting president” and only last week, he was in Mozambique for the eastern neighbour’s 40th independence anniversary celebration.
His trips come at a huge a cost to Zimbabweans as a single journey filches the sparse state coffers of no less than $2 million, mostly in allowances for his large entourage.
The Mozambique trip was done after he had just returned from Egypt and South Africa for the African Union summit.
Since the beginning of the year, Mugabe who is also the chairperson of SADC, has spent more time either in the air or in foreign lands than he has done in his own country which faces ever-worsening political and economic problems.
The frequent jaunts whose benefits are still to be seen, have gobbled millions of dollars this year alone, with even the United States Department of State recommending that Mugabe’s budget be made public for fiscal transparency.
The opposition MDC-T party has urged President Robert Mugabe to “stop flying” in order to save the cash-strapped government millions of dollars.
In an interview with NewZimbabwe.com MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu said besides downsizing the country’s bloated civil service government also needed to trim the cabinet and cut drastically on foreign travel.
“He (Mugabe) should drastically limit his foreign travel in order to save money. Robert Mugabe just enjoys flying. He hops from jet onto another as if flying is just about to get out of fashion,” said Gutu.
“On these excursions, the near bankrupt Treasury picks up the tabs. How tragic! This is a man who doesn’t give a damn about the untold suffering that the majority of the people of Zimbabwe are presently going through.
Media reports claimed Mugabe who has of late operated outside the country more than he has been around gobbled about $10 million in travel and subsistence expenses. This excludes the medical expenses that the nonagenarian has incurred in the same period.
Mugabe’s failing health as well as that of his wife First Lady Grace has forced them to seek medical attention in the Far East in the process straining the already tottering fiscus.
Source – New Zimbabwe.com
South Africa Today Africa – Southern Africa Zimbabwe News