Mugabe’s trip to Ghana cancelled

President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe

Citi FM, Thu, Aug 18, 2016

by Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has cancelled his trip to Ghana.

The 92-year old African leader was expected to deliver a presidential lecture at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra, on the occasion of the Lifetime Africa Achievement Prize.

Organizers of the event, Millennium Excellence Foundation, say the cancellation is due to reasons beyond their control.

But sources at the Zimbabwean Embassy in Ghana, who want to remain anonymous, have told Citi News the trip was cancelled due to domestic political issues in Zimbabwe.

Ghanaians were looking forward to the visit of the controversial leader, who has ruled for nearly three decades.

This would have been the African leader’s most recent visit to Ghana. There had been huge billboards in the national capital, Accra, advertising his visit by the event organizers.

The African leader, between 1955 and 1958, stayed in Ghana where he taught as a Senior High School teacher, and eventually married a Ghanaian woman who later died.

Mr. Mugabe was inspired by the late Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President. Despite Mr. Mugabe’s absence, the event will go ahead as planned but without the presidential lecture.

At the Lifetime Africa Achievement Prize slated for Saturday, August 20, nine persons including three Ghanaians; Dr Kwabena Dufuor, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong and Nana Kwame Bediako, are expected to be conferred with LAAP prize.

Other personalities to be awarded, include Tokyo Sexwale (South Africa), Mrs. Tabitha Karanja (Kenya), Hanson Sindowe (Zambia), Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo), Femi Otedola (Nigeria), Leymah Gbowee (Liberia). The grand durbar for the event in Kumasi on the 21st of August, has also been postponed.


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