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Takunda Maodza Senior Reporter
Government on Monday summoned European Union Head of Delegation to Zimbabwe Ambassador Aldo Dell’Ariccia after he scandalously sought a meeting with Electoral and Constitutional Court judges.The EU envoy wrote a letter to the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court requesting a meeting with the judges to “exchange views on electoral petitions”.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Ambassador Joey Bimha yesterday confirmed meeting ambassador Dell’Ariccia at his Munhumutapa Offices over the matter.
“He came yesterday (Monday) and we had a meeting. We explained to him that what he did was wrong and unacceptable and he apologised and made a commitment that next time he will observe the right procedures,” Ambassador Bimha said.
“The point of contact for all ambassadors is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and contacting arms of Government without going through the ministry is interference in the affairs of the hosting state.”
Efforts to get a comment from Ambassador Dell’Ariccia were fruitless yesterday, but he was quoted in the private media on Monday as saying, “what happened was an administrative oversight” and that he was going to write to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs apologising.
In a letter dated August 29, 2013 to the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Mr Walter Chikwana, Ambassador Dell’Ariccia said: “I would hereby like to kindly request your support in facilitating the organisation of meetings with members of the Constitutional and Electoral Courts in order to exchange views on electoral petitions.
“The delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Zimbabwe would be available for such a meeting between 3, 4 and 6 September 2013.” His request was turned down by Mr Chikwana who highlighted to Ambassador Dell’Ariccia that “members of the Constitutional Court and Electoral Court do not hold meetings with anybody other than the litigants or their legal representatives regarding matters that are pending before the respective courts”.
It also emerged that Mr Giles Entikap led a delegation of EU officials to a meeting with outgoing Justice and Legal Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa where they sought interaction over the country’s electoral system but were dressed down by the outgoing minister.
Political analysts this week slammed Ambassador Dell’Ariccia for the diplomatic gaffe with Professor Jonathan Moyo saying he did not deserve to be in the country.
“One will realise that the ambassador gets the audacity to do such things because the EU and other Anglo-Saxon governments are funding the petitions, paying the legal fees like they did for the elections and lost,” he said.
“Just like Ms Deborah Bronnert (British Ambassador to Zimbabwe), who made unsubstantiated claims on assisted voters during the elections, the matter needs to be treated seriously because these guys are not litigants neither are they legal practitioners for the MDC-T. They had a dirty hand in our politics and now they have extended to the judiciary and we say enough is enough. Government should summon him.”
University of Zimbabwe political scientist Dr Charity Manyeruke said Ambassador Dell’Ariccia had overstepped his mandate by trying to be an MDC-T lawyer.
“He is going beyond of what he is expected to do,” she said. “He is here for the relations of the EU and Zimbabwe, but if he wants to be a politician, then he must pack and go. It is erroneous on his part and the EU should also take action because diplomats should communicate through diplomatic platforms.”
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