11 April 2008
editorial
Finally, the new Ian Khama administration has given credence to what has been the majority of Botswana's position on Zimbabwe.
That position has been that Zimbabwe's neighbours, and indeed the whole African continent, has not been sympathetic enough to the plight of the long-suffering Zimbabwean people.
This Wednesday when Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the Zimbabwe's main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) fled to Botswana, he was given a hearing at the country's highest office.
Coincidentally, before Tsvangirai's hurried arrival here, President Khama had taken it upon himself to contact his Zambian counterpart, Levy Mwanawasa, requesting for an emergency SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government leaders to discuss Zimbabwe's volatile situation. Mwanawasa is the current SADC chairman.
Khama's efforts appear to have paid off, at least for now, as that Summit is scheduled for the Zambian capital, Lusaka, tomorrow. Whether the moribund regional body will this time around make it clear to despotic Robert Mugabe's regime that its time is up, will be another matter.
However, as Batswana, we should take solace in the fact that our government has demonstrated its concern about the well-being of the ordinary Zimbabweans whose patience is being brutally stretched to its limit. Since they voted on March 29, the treacherous Mugabe regime is yet to release the results of the presidential contest he (Mugabe) is believed to have lost to Tsvangirai.
Khama should not only be commended for returning Botswana to her time-tested unambiguous foreign policy. President Khama and his new foreign minister Phandu Skelemani have indeed done us proud. Botswana has historically provided a safe haven for the persecuted persons from various neighbouring states. Obviously, it was for this very reason that Tsvangirai pitched up this week to seek a temporary refuge from the diabolical Mugabe regime. And the Botswana government was morally right to grant him his wish. After all, his life is in danger.
Indeed, Zimbabwe is on the precipice of unimaginable bloodbath that will have far-reaching repercussions for the entire region. As it is, Mugabe's shenanigans have been a drawback to the region's development efforts.
We hope Mugabe's colleagues, who have for so long shielded him with devastating consequences, will impress upon him to respect the will of the voting Zimbabwean masses.
That his days of rigging elections and using under-handed methods to win have come to a close. What the Zimbabweans now want is the opportunity to rebuild their shattered lives and infrastructure. And that's not asking too much.
Today's Thought
When it is darkest, men see the stars.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Mmegi/The Reporter. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
