28 May 2008
Ndola — Zambia has cautioned Zimbabwean authorities against unwarranted attacks on the Government and its leadership to avoid straining the long-standing cordial relations between the two countries.
Chief Government spokesman, Mike Mulongoti, said in Lusaka yesterday that Zambia was dismayed by the recent verbal attacks published in the Zimbabwean government media attributed to justice minister, Patrick Chinamasa.
Mr Chinamasa had expressed disappointment with President Mwanawasa's alleged failure as Southern African Development Community (SADC) chairman to ask Britain to lift sanctions against Zimbabwe.
"The Government of the Republic of Zambia wishes to express its consternation and deep concern at the unrestrained attacks on its Head of State and SADC chairman.
"These attacks on Zambia and its leadership have regrettably a great potential to unnecessarily strain the warm and cordial relations that have existed between the two sister Republics since time immemorial," Mr Mulongoti said.
He said authorities in Zimbabwe should exercise maximum restraint, especially during these trying moments in their history, when dealing with SADC countries, including Zambia for the maintenance of peace, security and stability in the region.
Mr Mulongoti said the attacks were seemingly bent on discrediting the integrity of President Mwanawasa's office as Zambian Head of State and SADC chairperson in the eyes of the international community.
"It is well known that the Government of the Republic of Zambia has stood by Zimbabwe's side bilaterally as well as within the framework of the SADC, the African Union (AU) and internationally," he said.
He said Zambia had, in fact, joined many regional and international efforts aimed at resolving the prevailing difficult situation in Zimbabwe in the last few years.
Mr Mulongoti said Zambia attended the extraordinary SADC summit held in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, on May 29, 2007, which mandated South African President, Thabo Mbeki to mediate in the Zimbabwe crisis and that led to peaceful elections in March.
He said the Dar-es-Salaam summit also exhorted all SADC member state to use enhanced diplomatic contacts, which would assist with the resolution of the situation in Zimbabwe.
"In no circumstances did the summit task the then SADC chairman nor the subsequent chairs alone to undertake diplomatic efforts as the Zimbabwean authorities are suggesting through the wrong channels of the media," he said.
He said the Dar-es-Salaam summit mandated SADC finance ministers to work with authorities in Zimbabwe with a view of drawing up an economic recovery plan for the country but Zimbabwe did not facilitate the ministers' meeting.
Mr Mulongoti said President Mwanawasa, as SADC chair, had expressed solidarity with Zimbabwe by ensuring with other African leaders, that President Robert Mugabe attended the Africa-European Union (EU) summit in Portugal in December, 2007.
Last month, President Mwanawasa again called for the extraordinary SADC summit with a view of finding a lasting solution to the political election crisis in Zimbabwe.
He said SADC expressed similar solidarity with Zimbabwe when the International Conference on Poverty and Development was held in Mauritius last month .
Mr Mulongoti said these actions were sufficient testimony to Zambia's support to Zimbabwe and its determination to help Zimbabwe overcome its current depressing socio-economic and political situation.
Meanwhile Mr Mulongoti has clarified that there is no movement of an estimated 25,000 Zimbabwean refugees from South Africa to Zambia saying that had only been planned for as contingency.
Mr Mulongoti, however, said that Government's position on the matter was that if such a situation developed, it would consider the matter after receiving official request from the United Nations, through the High Commission for Refugees (HCR).
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There you are onesoulzim1. You sound like you are riding on the showlders of your leaders. meaning you 're just as ungreatiful as they all seem to be. look at chinamasa's comments againest our respectable Levy. If you yoursel want to see bad thing right, rest be assured that no one else will see wrong things right. you had elections and failed to release results on time, and when they were released your defacto heroes lost, but survived on paper technicality.
The SADC leader all he wants is to bring peace in your land of hopelessness and anguish, and has… [Read Full Text]
Josedaka70, I love Zambia and am forever grateful to the Zambian people; SADC is a regional grouping that happens to be led by Levy now. Levy as leader of Zambia is doing a great job for the Zambians and the Zimbabwean people when he chooses non-megaphone interference with our national challenges here. Zimbabwe also boasts of millions of Zambian origins who are highly educated, have houses, farms and business though they were brought down here through MTANDAZO (colonial slavery) that took them to be merely farm labors and mineral diggers. I am sure since our independence, thanks to your great… [Read Full Text]
You seem to forget that Zambia and Zimbabwe were one country together with Malawi. And as a result the people of this part of Afrika enjoyed the freedom of movement throughout the three contries including Mozambique. You guys left us in a latch and broke away and be rewarded with 'independence'. Dr Buthelezi toyed with a similar approach in South Afrika. Why did you abandon your fellow citizens your very own country people????
You seem to forget that Zambia and Zimbabwe were one country together with Malawi. And as a result the people of this part of Afrika enjoyed the freedom of movement throughout the three contries including Mozambique. You guys left us in a latch and broke away and be rewarded with 'independence'. Dr Buthelezi toyed with a similar approach in South Afrika. Why did you abandon your fellow citizens your very own country people????
You seem to forget that Zambia and Zimbabwe were one country together with Malawi. And as a result the people of this part of Afrika enjoyed the freedom of movement throughout the three contries including Mozambique. You guys left us in a latch and broke away and be rewarded with 'independence'. Dr Buthelezi toyed with a similar approach in South Afrika. Why did you abandon your fellow citizens your very own country people????
You seem to forget that Zambia and Zimbabwe were one country together with Malawi. And as a result the people of this part of Afrika enjoyed the freedom of movement throughout the three contries including Mozambique. You guys left us in a latch and broke away and be rewarded with 'independence'. Dr Buthelezi toyed with a similar approach in South Afrika. Why did you abandon your fellow citizens your very own country people????
There you go onezimsoul1, Zimbabwe does not have enemies! The Mugabe regime is the one with enemies. Until we stop confusing Mugabe with Zimbabwe, we will never get what's wrong with us. The idea of Mugabe's infaliability should be buried. You are an enemy of Zimbabwe if you criticize the murderer Mugabe! Can somebody be exclusively in solidarity with the suffering majority Zimbabweans and shun the murderer Mugabe? What is the point of all those killings on the watch of Mugabe? We Zimbabweans want peace. We don't care who it is, we do no like oppressors. It could be Tsvangirai… [Read Full Text]
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If SADC mandated Mbeki to be au fait with Zimbabwe's political and economic challenges within the Sadc protocols, who then asked Zambia chair to indulge with an ill-fated summit that would play in the hands of Zimbabwe's enemies? Notwithstanding galvanizing the MDC party to international audience as if it is part of SADC governments.