Four US citizens under contract with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) reportedly sneaked into the country last month without notifying authorities in accordance with protocol, and proceeded to hold secret and unauthorized meetings, which were supposed to outline Washington’s hostile foreign policy towards Zimbabwe.
The quartet—Brenda Lee Pearson, Norma Krieger, Sarah Logan, and Loretta Bass—worked for a US government affiliate, the Navanti Group, and their mission was ostensibly to conduct a “democracy and governance assessment” to help USAID design its domestic programs.
However, the team was arrested and deported on February 17 after it emerged that their real agenda was more focused on seeking “a more effective way to bring about regime change in the country”, informed sources told the Sunday Mail yesterday.
Curiously, the Quartet entered the country without prior contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, and continued to conduct assessment activities in the country, violating the Geneva Convention.
After discovering that their team was under surveillance, the US Embassy, on behalf of Navante Group, reportedly notified the government on February 5, requesting meetings between Pearson, Krieger, government ministers, foundations, and Chapter 12 committees.
The commissions include the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC); Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC); Zimbabwe Gender Equality Commission (ZGC); Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC); And the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission.
But the arrival of Logan and Bass on February 5 for the same mission was kept secret.
Since arriving separately in early February, the team has held meetings with leaders of anti-government civil society organizations, journalists, some senior opposition figures and Western diplomats.
Sources indicated that on February 8, for example, Logan and Bass met with Danish aid official David Takowira and later came into contact with Swedish embassy secretary Peter Kaman, whom they suspected of being an intelligence officer.
On the same day, they also met Dr Frances Lovemore, Director of the Counseling Services Unit, for dinner.
The next day, they held a meeting with Mike Davis, an official from the Harare Joint Residents Association, before contacting ZIMCODD Director John Maketu on 12 February.
Their meeting also saw engagements with British Embassy official Peter Thomas (February 13); British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office official Nickolay Hutchinson (13 February); Zimbabwe Labor, Economics and Development Research Institute Director Godfrey Kanenzi (February 13); and Director of the Institute of Mass Public Opinion, Eldred Masonongor (February 13).
On Valentine’s Day, they reached out to Pearson at the U.S. Embassy and met with Larry Socha, the State Department’s public diplomacy officer.
That same day, Logan and Bass had dinner with Valerie Sfioia, director of the Legal Resources Foundation.
On February 15, the team met with Heart and Soul TV journalist Blessed Mhlanga, before Krieger joined them for their meeting with US political boss Nicole Johnson.
Overall, the team participated in more than a dozen entries.
The government has since confirmed that the Quartet was on a secret political mission.
“It is what we call consular irregularities,” said Deputy Principal Secretary to the President and Cabinet (Presidential Communications) Mr George Charamba. Basically, this term refers to the entry of foreign nationals into a country without following due process of law as defined in that country.
Under the Geneva Convention, foreigners entering a country under the cover of an embassy must notify the host country before their arrival.
As it turned out, the team arrived before any notification from the Zimbabwean Government’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“When the US Embassy realized that its team was being monitored, it retroactively sought to satisfy this consular requirement, and then submitted a note verbale, or diplomatic note, only on February 5, 2024,” Mr. Charamba added.
“Until then, that diplomatic note only identified two people of foreign origin, Brenda Lee Pearson and Norma Krieger.”
He also said the diplomatic note claimed that the duo was to be accompanied by a Zimbabwean national named Olivia Gumbo, who is believed to be linked to the Navanti group.
“The Government of Zimbabwe, without its knowledge, knew that the people who surreptitiously entered Zimbabwean territory were in fact four people, and not two as announced.
“Incidentally, the other two undeclared were very active on the ground, meeting with interest groups, meeting with prominent opposition members, NGOs, and traveling around the country for the express purpose of gathering information, information of a political nature.”
He said the failure of the US authorities to adhere to the stipulated diplomatic protocol meant that the Navante team would be deported under Zimbabwean laws.
“Merely failing to point out in a timely manner the presence of foreigners on the territory of a sovereign state called Zimbabwe is sufficient offense to deport these people, not to mention underestimating the number of people who have entered the country of Zimbabwe illegally, and on this basis there is no courtesy,” he said. “Can be expected.”
“The state will use its rough hands in order to enforce the laws of the country, but also in order to make that foreign country respect the sovereignty of that country.
“Let me state categorically that although this is a specific incident, it is in the best interest of the US government and its agencies that Zimbabwe is determined, able and willing to deport as many illegal missions as possible from any country, including the mighty America, for as long as possible.” Because those countries are willing to instigate such illegal missions that violate the integrity of Zimbabwe.
He added that Zimbabwe “will be brutally effective” and “use the full force of our law” wherever the country’s sovereignty is threatened.
He said: “This message must be sent very clearly to all countries, including Americans.”
“The size of the country, the military power of that country, the economic power of that country, the diplomatic power of that country are absolutely irrelevant when it comes to the sovereignty of that country and the need to preserve it.”
Mr Charamba said the team’s mission to Zimbabwe was clearly political and aimed to gauge the political environment ahead of the 2028 harmonized elections.
He said that Washington was determined to adjust its strategies regarding interference in Zimbabwe’s internal politics after the defeat of their preferred party in last year’s general elections.
He continued: “The Quartet’s mission was intensely and exclusively political.”
It has sought to interfere in the politics of this country despite the fact that Americans are not stakeholders in Zimbabwean politics.
“They never were; We should never, and will never be, stakeholders in Zimbabwean politics.
“In the same way, Zimbabwe is not a player in American politics.”
He said that America must respect Zimbabwe’s sovereignty and refrain from interfering in Zimbabwe’s internal politics.
“Again, let me make this very clear: If America believes it has a sacred mission to remake the politics of this country according to its own image of democracy, it is in for a very rude awakening.
“This kind of politics, this kind of intrusive politics, simply will not be encouraged here.
“We are determined to frustrate them and stop them in their tracks until they realize that American political dreams are the preserve of the American people on American soil.
“They do not extend to the continent of Africa, let alone the political system in Zimbabwe.
“We have nothing to do with their policies, and we have nothing to do with their dream model.
“Any interference in Zimbabwe’s internal politics will be strongly resisted.
“Post-election politics in Zimbabwe is a question for Zimbabweans.
“They’re not for Americans. It is not a problem for Americans; It’s not a problem for American experts, and least of all for USAID.
The teams’ meetings with opposition members were also described as suspicious.
On February 10, Pearson and Krieger held a meeting with former Citizens Alliance for Change representative for Harare East constituency Rusty Markham at York Lodge.
The sources added that the meeting focused on “an in-depth exploration of the country’s macropolitical economy.” Sunday mail
