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SON of long time Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi, Al-Saadi, nearly caused diplomatic fallout between Harare and Tripoli recently when he turned up at the airport with a delegation of “businesspeople” who had no visas.
The incident that saw the Libyans being detained at the Harare International Airport for several hours marked the beginning of a tour of the country by the former professional football player whose real purpose remains a mystery.
Sources said the delegation was only released by immigration officials following the intervention of the Libyan embassy and the Minister of Tourism Walter Mzembi.
“It could have caused a major diplomatic fallout between the two countries had government not immediately intervened because Libya is very particular as far as its citizens are concerned,” said a senior government official.
“You remember sometime in 2008 Libya threatened to halt oil deliveries to Switzerland and to withdraw its funds from Swiss banks in protest at the brief detention of Hannibal.”
Hannibal, Gaddafi’s fifth son was arrested in Switzerland in 2008 along with his wife Aline after two servants claimed they had been abused by them.
Mzembi, who says he invited Gaddafi as part of his ministry’s so-called celebrity host programme told The Standard the issue of visas was resolved amicably.
He however added that there was need to change the current visa regime which was “friendly to European countries but hostile to brotherly nations such as Libya and China.”
“We need to prepare a new dispensation of a new visa regime,” declared Mzembi.
“Friendly countries to Zimbabwe such as Libya and those in the East must be upgraded so that they fall into category A and not C as is the current state.”
Visitors from countries in category A, which are mostly European, do not require visas, those from category B countries get visas at the point of entry while those whose countries are on category C obtain the visas in their home countries.
Mzembi said African countries must adopt a single visa system to enable smooth travel and trade.
He said they should take a cue from the European Union (EU) which adopted the Schengen system that allows visitors entry into several countries using a single visa.
“In any case, all these boundaries we want to respect were imposed on us during the partition of Africa in Berlin. Africa must go for single visas,” he said.
Efforts to get a comment from chief Immigration officer Evans Siziba were fruitless last week.
Mzembi declined to disclose if Al-Saadi had made any firm commitments to investment in the country except to say he showed interest in agriculture and tourism sectors.
Water Resources Development and Management Minister Samuel Sipepa-Nkomo also confirmed that Al-Saadi never made any firm commitment.
“There was nothing firm but he expressed interest in Tokwe-Mukosi project and he said we should talk more,” said Sipepa-Nkomo. “He seems to be a real business person.”
But Mzembi was optimistic Al-Saadi would be able to lure investors to Zimbabwe because of his influence as a businessman and former football star.
Al-Saadi once played for Al Ahly Tripoli and Italian Serie A team Perugia. He only played one match for the Italian team before failing a drug test.
He was formerly on the board of the Italian team Juventus, of which 7,5% was owned by a Libyan consortium.
On the business front, Al-Saadi and the Libyan government in 2006 launched a project to create a semi-autonomous city similar to Hong Kong in Libya, stretching for 40 km between Tripoli and the Tunisian border.
The proposed new city would become a high tech, banking, medical and educational centre.
The city would have its own international airport and international visitors will not require any visas.
Economists and political analysts said Gaddafi’s visit was more of a social adventure and also to show political solidarity with President Robert Mugabe than an investment scouting mission.
Independent economic analyst Daniel Ndlela said no investors, even the Libyans, would invest in a hostile investment climate.
He said several investors, including the much-talked-about Chinese, have developed a wait-and-see attitude as far as investing in the country was concerned.
He said Al-Saadi, like any other potential investor, would also first consider issues such as the controversial indigenisation law and respect for property rights.
“The indigenisation law is an albatross hanging over Zimbabwe,” said Ndlela. “Investors have permanent interests in their investment and have no permanent friends.”
“If we are failing to safeguard Malaysian and South African investments, which are protected by bilateral agreements, I wonder what will happen to Libyan investment.”
Ndlela’s sentiments were also echoed by Prosper Mutambara, a development economist with the Labour and Economic Development Research Institute of Zimbabwe (Ledriz) in Harare.
“I don’t see much coming from Libya,” said Mutambara. “Without wanting to sound unpatriotic, the country risk premium is very high in Zimbabwe so the cost of doing business here is very high.”
Harare and Tripoli have in the past tried to enter joint business deals involving the importation of fuel to the landlocked Zimbabwe.
However, most of the deals have fallen through because Zimbabwe has not had enough money to meet its part of the bargain.
Nine years ago, Gaddafi senior’s convoy of at least 80 vehicles snaked into Zimbabwe from neighbouring Zambia where he had been attending a summit of African leaders.
His mission was to discuss the possibility of Libya, a major oil producing nation, providing petroleum products to Zimbabwe.
But no concentrate trade deals emerged from the visit.
Mugabe is a long time friend of al-Saadi’s father who has been ruling the North African country for the past four decades.
There has been speculation in the past that the two leaders share business interests.
In 2002, Mugabe’s wife Grace reportedly sold a mansion in one of Harare’s plush suburbs to Gaddafi for an estimated $5 million.
“Sons and daughters of presidents are part of the first family and this is why he met the president,” said Mzembi.
Al-Saadi also met the ministers of Agriculture, Economic Planning and the Zimbabwe Football Association board and executive.
There is little known Libyan investment in Zimbabwe at the moment.
It only emerged last month that Libyan had invested in transport and property sectors after a man Stanely Musendo, tasked with overseeing the investment allegedly converted US$4 million to his use.
There were also reports that Gaddafi had been given commercial farms in Zimbabwe in exchange for fuel.
BY CAIPHAS CHIMHETE
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