The United States president Barack Obama is this year replacing the current ambassador to Harare, Charles Ray who now passes the button to a former professional theatre producer, David Bruce Wharton at the end of the year 2012.
Obama’s reappointment was communicated in a cable released on the 11th May 2012. Although US envoys are generally allocated a minimum 3 years in each term, their tenure can continue into the 6th year, but Ray who worked since December 2009, will be leaving by the end of 2012.
During his tenure, the outgoing envoy, Ray became the subject of high media speculation following several leaked confidential US cables which seemed to reveal among others controversial meetings with prominent people in Zimbabwe’s ZANU PF controlled government who included Vice President Joice ‘Teurai Ropa’ Mujuru, and Reserve Bank govenor Gideon Gono.
Ray also leaves the embassy as the only US envoy to have his email account hacked following which incident he threatened to send the offender to a very ‘dark place’.
He however also made history by becoming the first foreign envoy to personally launch onto and utilise the social networking website, Facebook where he constantly engaged the local youth, something no other ambassador in Harare did.
His term ends in December 2012 and it was not clear if and or where he will be reassigned.
The incoming ambassador David Bruce Wharton(pictured), is a former theatre producer who joined the Foreign Service in 1985 and has been posted abroad in Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Guatemala, and served in Washington, DC from 1992 to 1995. He has received Superior and Meritorious Honor Awards from the Department of State and the U.S. Information Agency.
Wharton was born in Basel, Switzerland, and enjoyed a cross-cultural childhood with time spent in both Europe and Texas. He is a graduate of the University of Texas in Austin and speaks Spanish and German. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Mr. Wharton worked in professional theater in the Washington, DC area. (ZIMBABWE, ZimEye)
18 Replies to “Obama removes Charles Ray from Zimbabwe”
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CDES WE WILL CHASE THIS MURUNGU ACTOR BACK TO HOLLYWOOD ONCE THE GENERAL ERECTION STARTS.
Wena nja .Your masters you boot lick cant do it here in Zim .They are failing to squash the Taliban in Afghanistan dspit teaming up more than 20 other bloody nations who ar in their evil NATO alliance.Its now more than 10 yrs since they stated that war.U hav kid arguements i dont hav time 4 u.Your name calling means nothing and it will not change anything in Zim .u ar just a failed frastrated ltl ideot.go hung mntwana we hule .
Chimoto you shona savages are the devil! You are the ones that steal, loot, pillage, plunder, destroy and f.ck goats! Not the Americans. Comrade you useless savages must remember on very important fact – if the Americans wanted to squash you shona idiots they could do so and in an hour it would all be over. They could do all this without setting a foot in Zim. They could selectively knock each one of you off individually. Why don’t they do it? Because you are all worthless and have nothing to offer them!!!
We dnt want all these agents of the Devil in Zim .Dont deploy your evil sodomy disciples in our country wena devil Obama.
We would be surprised if Obama did other than exercise his powers
Ho o! Ndo zvirikuitika izvi, zvinebasa rei? Whats that got to do with us or any other person who is not involved?
Udakiwe wena zanupf chiwororo
Imi vanhu munongotaura kupela nenyaya dzekupondana, zvetribalism, zveMDC nezanupf njani njani murimastupeti evanhu. Isu vamwe tirikusvira zviri too bad mavhitori…. ava vanotapira, mandevere… maiwe indoda yazibonela, mazezuru…ava vanopedza simba, manyika…..haikona kutaura mhani idanger. Isu vamwe tiri kuita populate rainbow nation into a unified zimbabwe tichiita vana vechindevere, tonga, venda, zezuru excetra. Mese murimadonki evanhu basa rekuda kuponda zvizvarwa zvedu, ini I am play my part to have vana everywhere. Tinokwira mabhebhi zvokunakigwa isu kwete nyaya dzenyu dzirikuti nyangadza.
Kaphume umthengisi kabhare
I did not get the story but I only saw the headline bvisa chombo if this is reference 2 the minister of chiefs and headmen then i agree I want him out yesterday yes the white headed man must go.The earlier the better.
Obama is getting too excited manje. Too much tobacco, why not let the good man enjoy two terms? nxa!
Who cares?
Bvisayi bobo
Kana shungu, infact the *** President of America should not take the trouble of replacing Ray with someone, l’m sure we do not need facebook foreign diplomats here.
What do you mean “removes”? His term is up, he hasn’t committed any wrongdoing, so what’s your problem Zimeye? So?
ndizvo chaizvo
The above headline is mischievous and misleading.
Ambassador Charles Ray’s term of assignment EXPIRES at the end of 2012.
“…who now passes the button to a former professional theatre producer, David Bruce Wharton…” Is Obama now giving us a theatrical diplomat?