Blunder-prone Zwambila deserves recall from post

scene. Since as a mere mortal President Mugabe can’t be in all 193 UN member states at the same time, he has to appoint men and women of integrity whom he accredits to represent him in various countries with which we share diplomatic recognition.
As such an ambassador in a foreign land is a de facto representative of his/her government and by extension the head of state and/or government which explains the moniker, “his/her Excellency.’’
It is on this basis that our Ambassador to Australia, Jacqueline Zwambila, is found wanting.
Since her posting to Canberra, Ms Zwambila has been hitting the headlines for the wrong reasons.
In 2010, just a few months after assuming her duties in Canberra, she reportedly stripped before shocked embassy staff, a development that saw her being summoned by the foreign affairs ministry to explain her actions.
Now, Ms Zwambila has gone a bit further with her transgressions by attending an ex-Rhodesian armed forces commemoration in Australia and even having her photo taken with the die-hard Rhodie security men.
One of the Rhodesian Forces Brigadier Digger Essex Clark, gave special mention to the ‘‘excited Ndebele Zimbabwe Ambassador (Ms Zwambila) and supporter of Morgan Tsvangirai’’
Suffice to say, Ms Zwambila’s actions were a throwback to the time her party boss, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai was beamed live on CNN in the early days of his party happily accepting cheques from white farmers who were keen to torpedo the land reform program.
What we find reprehensible is not only Ms Zwambila’s sheer insensitivity, but also the fact that she hails from a party that belittles our own veterans of the Second Chimurenga. Men and women who were prepared to lay down their lives to ensure that the likes of Zwambila are not treated like second class citizens in their own country amid opposition from the Rhodies Ms Zwambila was consorting with.
Men and women who made it possible for Ms Zwambila to not only vote, but also partake in the politics of the country, even from a retrogressive standpoint.
To this end we hail the steps taken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in asking Ms Zwambila to explain her actions. We hope that is a prelude to sterner action.
Its high time the blundering envoy answered for her actions as she has been misrepresenting the country over the past three years.
The onus is on her party, the MDC-T to say enough is enough. While we know that the party has several ex-Rhodesian security services men in its rank and file, the assumption is that those men have since seen the error of their ways.
It is, however, unforgivable that any right-thinking Zimbabwean can consort with Rhodies despite their heinous history of crimes against our people who were fighting for nothing more than the right to self-determination.
If Ms Zwambila is honourable, she should voluntarily resign her posting. If the MDC-T wants to be taken seriously it should ask President Mugabe, in his capacity as the appointing authority, to recall the blunder-prone envoy.
Anything short of that belittles the memory of the sons and daughters of this land who made it possible for the likes of Ms Zwambila to even represent Zimbabwe in Australia.