Mugabe's fury as US envoy admits playing golf with Tsvangirai

CONTROVERSY: Ambassador McGee is said to have infuriated President Mugabe by playing golf with MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai

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By Staff Reporter
Posted to the web: 06/10/2008 01:06:53
ZIMBABWEAN opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has been playing golf with the American ambassador in the heat of delicate power sharing talks with President Robert Mugabe, it is revealed today.

Mugabe who accuses Tsvangirai of being a western puppet is said to be angry at what he sees as American interference in Zimbabwe’s domestic affairs.

By playing golf with Ambassador James McGee, the US’ top envoy in Zimbabwe, Tsvangirai will not help lower the level of distrust between him and Mugabe as he readies to take the post of Prime Minister in a new inclusive government.

McGee was confronted over the golf course match-ups with the former trade union leader by SW Radio Africa’s Violet Gonda in an interview on Friday.

He admitted that he had been playing golf with Tsvangirai whom he described as “new to the game”, but he insisted they were “not talking matters of State, we are talking about our poor golf swing.”

McGee said he found golf as an opportunity to “walk and talk (with Tsvangirai) for four hours”.

“I did play golf with Morgan Tsvangirai and I have played golf with Morgan Tsvangirai before and I will continue to play golf with Morgan Tsvangirai,” the ambassador said after Gonda challenged him on “an allegation that you recently played golf with Mr Tsvangirai and that Mr Mugabe was very unhappy about this”.

McGee said Mugabe had not personally communicated his anger over his games with Tsvangirai because the two do not talk. He however said he “got that second hand” that Mugabe was privately indignant.

The envoy insisted “the idea behind diplomatic involvement in any country was to be involved with the government and the people who occupy seats in government in that particular country”, justifying the time he spends with Tsvangirai on the golf course.

Asked if he had invited other political leaders to play with him apart from the MDC leader, McGee said he had played “some of the leading figures here in Zimbabwe”, including Zanu PF officials whom he would not name.

“Despite the fact that people think we work 24 hours a day, we don’t,” McGee said. “We do need to unwind and have some social relaxation. I enjoy playing golf with Morgan Tsvangirai.

“I have been playing the game of golf for almost 50 years and Morgan and I find this an opportunity to walk and talk for four hours. Again we are not talking matters of State; we are talking about our poor golf swing.”

In May this year, Mugabe threatened to expel McGee from Zimbabwe, accusing the envoy of interfering in Zimbabwe’s domestic affairs.

"I am just waiting to see if he makes one more step wrong. He will get out," Mugabe said.

Delicate power sharing talks between Mugabe’s Zanu PF party and the two MDC factions are expected to conclude this week with the appointment of a 31-member cabinet.

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