Journalists identified as reporters from Sahara Reporters ambushed Mugabe and his African Union (AU) delegation demanding that he steps down from his position as Zimbabwe’s head of state.
The reporters demanded to know from the 91-year-old leader, who has been in power since independence from Britain in 1980, when he would step down and handover power to a democratically elected successor after more than three decades in power.
However, Harare has hit back, with outspoken Minister of Information, Prof. Jonathan Moyo, likening the journalists in question to “brothers and sisters of Boko Haram”.
The Islamic militant Boko Haram has over the years embarked on a reign of terror in Nigeria where it has killed thousands and displaced about 1.5 million people from the North-eastern region of the country.
“If Nigerian journalism has come to this, then God help Nigeria since nobody has monopoly over such uncouth misconduct. It is a sad tale of a man biting a dog when journalists make news they should be covering,” Moyo said.
“Free countries have rules, including diplomatic courtesy, not the display of Boko Haram journalism. Of course, those are human beings, but are they journalists or Boko Haram?” asked Moyo.
Relations between Zimbabwe and Nigeria have sometimes been frosty over the years.
Mugabe has previously labelled Nigeria as a corrupt nation.
Mugabe has previously labelled Nigeria as a corrupt nation.
Former Nigeria head of state, Olusegun Obasanjo, courted detestation from some Zimbabwean political leaders during his stint as mediator to the deadlock between Zimbabwe and former colonialist, Britain at the turn of the millenium.