The South African based Pan African Parliament has disputed reports that it has deferred its decision to send a fact-finding mission to Zimbabwe.
PAP legislators who met at the just ended 7th Ordinary Session in Johannesburg, passed a resolution to send a fact-finding mission to Zimbabwe, to carry out an independent investigation on the reported economic and political turmoil in that country.
Zimbabwe, represented at the session by ruling party ZANU-PF chief whip Joram Gumbo, had tried, without success, to block the motion to send the mission, and said the organization had no legislative powers.
The online news source, Zimonline, on Tuesday quoted Zimbabwe's Permanent Foreign Affairs Secretary, Joey Bimha, as saying the government would not accept any "parallel initiatives,” to those of South African President Mbeki, who was chosen by regional leaders, to mediate the Zimbabwean crisis.
Senior information, communications and media relations officer Khalid Dahab of the Pan African Parliament, told reporter Ndimyake Mwakalyelye of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe, that reports that PAP had deferred the mission, were incorrect.