Does anyone know the whereabouts of Bona Mugabe? Our government thought she was studying at the LSE, but this has been hotly denied by the university. So is she in the UK or isn’t she?

Regardless of her whereabouts, the Foreign Office is pressing ahead with a travel ban against Robert Mugabe’s family . I wonder why a similar ban was not imposed against Stalin‘s daughter Svetlana when she moved to Cambridge in 1982, and her daughter Olga who was educated at The Friends’ Quaker school in Saffron Walden. Olga Peters is today listed as one of the schools alumni and associates, along with our great actress Dame Judi Dench, Philip Amis, the son of Kingsley Amis and Baron Newton of Braintree, a former Leader of the Commons.

There is no explanation as to how Foreign Office Minister Ian McCartney  made such a humiliating cock-up yesterday, with his officials quick to save their skin saying that he had become a bit confused” on the issue. Is he fit for office, if this is the case?

I asked MP James Dudderidge, whose question in the Commons raised this matter, for an update, and in an email this morning, he said he was waiting for clarification himself:

The FCO are now saying he “(McCartney) misrecollected” an earlier briefing and is a “bit confused”.  He is reportedly going to apologise to the House, but I have not seen anything from him saying she is not studying in the UK, although Sky got an email from Zim that looks possible and says that she is doing her A levels in Harare…  I will make sure you get another brief when things become clearer.  The LSE have issued a denial although I have not seen this.”

So I hope to keep you posted on further updates from James.

It is not believed that Bona Mugabe (pictured next to her shopoholic mum Grace) is politically active, so should she pay for the sins of her father? However, the name Mugabe is associated with revulsion and allowing his daughter to be educated here is tantamount to offering support to his family. I just wonder why why the same ban didn’t apply to the tyrant Stalin‘s kin.