Bame Piet
11 August 2008
Gaborone — Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Phandu Skelemani, has reaffirmed government's position that it does not recognise Robert Mugabe as president of Zimbabwe and will not attend any African Union (AU) or SADC meetings if he is invited.
Answering questions from Members of Parliament (MPs) on Friday after giving a statement to the House, Skelemani said that Mugabe was not democratically elected, hence his leadership is illegitimate. He, however, said the government will recognise the outcome of the ongoing talks between Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai's party on transitional government to solve the country's economic and political crises.
He said that the Botswana Embassy in Harare would remain operational since "it does not only service the government there but also the ordinary Zimbabweans". He said that government will screen all refugees entering Botswana and those qualifying for political refuge status will be assisted whilst economic refugees will be returned home.
In his statement, Skelemani said that the reasons for Botswana government not recognising Mugabe are clear in that environment in the run-up to the June 27 presidential run-off was not conducive for holding free and fair elections. He said that despite international calls on Mugabe to halt the elections until the environment was conducive to holding elections, he went ahead and held a one-man show.
The minister regretted the fact that many people lost their lives; there was damage to property and many people were displaced because of state-sponsored violence against opposition supporters. He pleaded with Zimbabweans to take advantage of South Africa President Thabo Mbeki's mediation efforts to find a resolution to the political and economic crises in their country.
Meanwhile, the BOCISCOZ petitioned Mbeki through his High Commission here saying they are against any government of national unity because Mugabe lost the March 29 elections. South Africa is scheduled to host the SADC Summit this week and Botswana has already indicated her intention not to attend if Mugabe is invited.
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Botswana is irrelevant and has no place in the Zimbabwe equation. The best thing is to just ignore the rantings from the Mangwato chief and his serfs. Theirs is mere noise.
Sad indeed. It was expected from Botswana.They claim to be gifted with the Midas touch to solve the Zim problem.All we can do is to say to them that the tides will turn. After all they are just a dot in Africa. The same country with a terrible record of xenophobia against Zimbabweans and well known for flogging them.Its sad though. Mbeki has done a tremendous Job and we shall continue supporting him in this arduous task.Some think it is as easy as subtracting bob and cherry picking Morgan Richard into power. As it is his own negotiators are even getting fed up with his shifting of goal posts.We need progress and not holding each other to ransom when an agreement had been reached.
Lets have faith.All shall be well in Zimbabwe
Bravo to Mr. Skelsman indeed he is a longsighted man becouse in fact what Mugabe and his ZANU(PF) party are doing is not the real.It's a pity for Zimbabwe and it's people who are suffering. To tell the truth,Botswana being a dot in Africa doesn't mean that it can't differentiate between what is bad and what is Good.
I would like to harden my man Mr.Morgan and his counterparts to remain straight in their attempt to attain power.I hope to see every thing mounting to something as i trust Mr.President Thabo Mbeki the south African president and the facilitator of the negotiations.
I wonder what's wrong with all African leaders,they don't want to handover power to others!why? why can't they learn to follow the protocol of fear and free elections?Afterall they say,they are Democrats.people learn how to be righteous.
What diplomatic emptiness! It is obvious that Ian Khama can not sit next to Mugabe for the little boy can only rant from afar. Blair ran away the other time in Italy, prince Charles received the tabloid bashing of his time after sitting next to Mugabe and Mugabe always joke of these cowards running away from him after they have invested their lives praising and awashing him with awards. If the very UK uncles are afraid to be near RGM where would their spoilt nephew find the guts? Who really elected this coloured boy in Botswana?
Hail to Botswana. A quiet country, but with respect for Zimbabwean people. Botswana should emerge as the super power in Southern Africa. You are smarter than Mbeki and Mugabe.
Well done to this small but brave and principled country. Zimbabweans will remember all the good you have done on their behalf and for standing shoulder to shoulder with them against the great dictator!
That is exactly what Mbeki should have done five years ago when murderer Mugabe had riiged the elections. African activists supporting citizens struggling to promote freedom, justice and equitable development warmly hail the Botswaba Government for its laudable initiative to send lunatic Mugabe regime to the dustbin of history.
SADC may go through some instability, but it would be only for a short while. The ZUMA era will ensure that the will of the majority of Zimbabweans be honoured. Lunatic Mugabe and thugs must already start counting the days left to them.
What a cheek by Mugabe trying even to resist calls by Mbeki to hand over executive power to the MDC designate? Mbeki must cast away his gloves and corner the murderer with threats for possible criminal action for his crimes against humanity.
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At least one country has seen through this fraud of a man who has misled Africa and the world for 28 years ! Wonder when everyone else will see reality and hopefully persuade this old man to take a rest and leave the region to move on.