Mugabe slammed for attending climate summit
in [Physics]
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From: as on 16 Dec 2009 06:05 Mugabe slammed for attending climate summit http://www.swradioafrica.com By Violet Gonda 15 December 2009 Globetrotting Robert Mugabe is said to have 'commandeered' an Air Zimbabwe plane on Monday evening to fly him to the United Nations climate summit, which is underway in Denmark. It is reported that he went with a 59 member delegation, on top of an advance team that is already at the summit in Copenhagen. The Zimbabwe government has come under attack for sending such a large delegation of officials, at a time when the bankrupt government should be streamlining. Last week Finance Minister Tendai Biti revealed in parliament that Zimbabwe had gobbled up more than US$28 million in 2009, in foreign trips. On Monday James Maridadi, the Prime Minister's spokesperson, said Tsvangirai would not be going to the summit, to cut down on spending and that the decision was also made in the spirit of promoting a single delegation from Zimbabwe. Government officials from all parties have been travelling to're-engage' the west after years of isolation, but critics say it is extremely wasteful to send so many people to this particular summit. Mugabe has come under fire for attending a global climate summit, when he is responsible for destroying the environment in his own country. Zimbabwe suffers from severe environmental degradation, with whole forests disappearing due to the lack of power. Wildlife poaching is also completely out of control and it's well known that the poaching, particularly of the black rhino, is orchestrated at the very highest levels in cabinet. Analysts say that allowing Mugabe to speak and have a platform at a summit that is focused on environmental issues, is nothing more than absurd. Political commentator Professor Stanford Mukasa said the idea of climate change and other international protocols have no relevance to Mugabe - and this is his only chance to go shopping in Europe because he is under an international travel ban. Mukasa said Mugabe has never been environmentally conscious back home and that the destruction of the environment in Zimbabwe has contributed to the worsening of the climate conditions in the country. "Mugabe has nothing to offer to the climate control conference because he is one of the guilty parties by his deliberate policies at home," said the political commentator.
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