Dumisani Muleya
20 November 2008
ZIMBABWE has sent a team of investigators to Botswana to probe an alleged plot of banditry involving Botswana authorities and opposition MDC activists, raising the diplomatic tensions between the two states.
The investigation into claimed acts of destabilisation came at a time when diplomatic relations between Harare and Gaborone -- uneasy neighbours -- were seriously strained by the issue which has been discussed at the regional level.
Diplomatic sources said Zimbabwe's investigation team is led by Foreign Affairs permanent secretary Joey Bimha. The sources said the mission also includes other Foreign Affairs officials and state security officers.
It is said the team arrived in Gaborone on Tuesday night. It was expected to meet government officials and other stakeholders between Wednesday and today to "investigate circumstances surrounding training of MDC activists in banditry activities".
Efforts to get a comment from government were unsuccessful last night. Zimbabwe is claiming that Botswana is providing MDC activists with military training on its territory to destabilise the country.
"A group of MDC activists were recently arrested and allegedly coerced to admit training and recorded in the process in a bid to create evidence for the trumped-up charges," a source said. "The whole plot is similar to the charges against Joshua Nkomo and PF Zapu officials such as Dumiso Dabengwa and Lookout Masuku (in the early 1980s). It is also similar to cases involving Ndabaningi Sithole and (MDC leader) Morgan Tsvangirai."
Government has since 1980 been making similar allegations, arresting and torturing the accused, but later failing to prove its claims. Before just about every election identical allegations are raised and people arrested and tortured mainly on false charges.
Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa recently accused Tsvangirai of trying to be like the late notorious Angolan rebel leader Jonas Savimbi and his Unita movement.
The MDC dismissed this saying Tsvangirai had no reason to do so when he could defeat Mugabe in any free and fair election. The MDC also said it had no cause to turn to rebel activities when it has the largest number of MPs in parliament.
Botswana has also dismissed Zimbabwe's allegations as "nonsensical and absurd". It invited a full investigation.
Botswana President Ian Khama has refused to recognise Mugabe as the legitimate president, saying he won the second round of elections in June via a brutal campaign of violence and murder. Khama has also refused to attend official Sadc meetings with Mugabe, arguing he is not a legitimate head of state.
The Botswana leader has said if power-sharing talks between Zanu PF and the MDC factions fail, there should be fresh free and fair elections under international supervision. Mugabe's regime reacted angrily, saying this was an "extreme act of provocation".
Zimbabwe and Botswana have had difficult relations since 1980 due to trade and political disputes.
Mugabe recently tried to calm down Khama, claiming he was a "friend and even a relative".
Last week, after the Sadc summit in South Africa, Botswana's Foreign Affairs minister Phandu Skelemani said if the power-sharing talks fail his government would "go back to square one" by not recognising Mugabe as president.
Skelemani said his government was "shocked by the baseless and absurd charges" made by Harare regarding acts of banditry and destabilisation.
Zimbabwe first officially made the allegations at the extraordinary meeting of the Interstate Defence and Security Committee held in Mozambique on November 5.
"The allegations that the Government of Botswana would wish to train foreign nationals on its territory to effect regime change is ridiculous," Skelemani said.
"All those who are aware of Botswana's longstanding commitment to the principles of good neighbourliness, non-interference in the internal affairs of others, and peaceful resolution of disputes in our region and elsewhere would no doubt attest to this."
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Mugabe and his cronies have now run out of ideas and are now afraid of their own shadows.Who on this earth would take these allegations seriously? I thank Botswana for having the spine to say their minds out and even alloe the idiots to make their stupid fact finding mission.Where did they get the foereign currency to buy the air tickets yet the country is bleeding and people are dying of cholera ? Why not put that money to buy medication? youb see how stupid and unconciderate Mugabe is
Carnivores are slightly more intelligent than their herbivorous prey. They know how to kill prey. Mugabe is a rare breed much more intelligent than all the world leaders, and he knows how to outwit them all the time. Now we can talk abut banditry for years while the current generation in ZImbabwe passes away. Mugabe deserves accorlades in being smarter and more intelligent than anyone else on the globe, only that he uses his gifts for the wrong things.In next article I will give tips on how to make Mugabe appear less intelligent than he has been to date.
being a dictator does not translate into intelligence, Elder you are talking about abuse of power here. Canivores do not kill what they don't eat and they are not bullies, they prey they don't murder. Mugabe is the most stupid and dump person in Africa, even a child of 5 years would have known the smell and sound of failure that Mugabe refuses to acknowledge. He is mad. Just another dog with rabbies, that's what he is. Do you call using state security to kill ordinary people intelligence, Elder? You should be some chairman in the ranks of SADC. Always… [Read Full Text]
@ elder,
Based on what I read, you seem like a well schooled person but lacking deductive reasoning. I hope you are not drinking water straight from the facet because there is a high probability of contacting Typhoid; water borne disease that causes memory loss. Mugabe is a master lolly gagger which means everything he says adds up to nothing, the city of Harare is floating in sewage and he still thinks he is smart? “The wheels have come of” and he still insists he is on the driver’s sit. Damage created by him and his gangsters will take… [Read Full Text]
Will205, Each time I read your post I think of the many blacks who were killed from the time of occupation in 1890, the freedom fighters who were killed by Rhodesian superimacists at Chimoio, Nyadzonya, Mkushi, Tembwe, and innocent Zimbabweans who were killed in cold blood throughout the country. Rhodesians, wherever they are, are evil and should not be entertained. I get sick when they celebrate the subjugation they put us through during nearly 100 years of oppression.
PLEASE IGNORE ANY POSTS FROM TAKUNYA_NDEBVU AND MABHIZA. THEY ARE BOTH THE SAME PERSON AND PAID BY THE ZANU PF'S MINISTRY OF INFORMATION (PROPOGANDA DEPARTMENT) TO POST AS MUCH PROPOGANDA ON THE WEB AS POSSIBLE TO PROMOTE THE MURDEROUS AND THEIVING ROBERT MUGABE. IF YOU READ ANY OF HIS POSTS YOU'LL SEE THAT HE MAKES THINGS UP AND CONTINUALLY LIES FOR THIS AIM. HE HAS NO CREDIBILITY WHATSOEVER AND SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. HE WILL CONTINUNALLY CLAIM THAT TSVANGIRAI HAS CALLED FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST THE PEOPLE OF ZIMBABWE. THIS CLAIM IS 100% FALSE AND DESIGNED TO ALIENATE TSVANGIRAI FROM… [Read Full Text]
The probe into such allegations is welcome for we do not want accusations without basis and evidence of arguments. The 2500 “violent political activists” intercepted should be given a fair SADC trial. However we should also be aware of matters of national security. Botswana has been bombarding Zimbabwe’s head of state recognised by ALL political parties here and Botswana’s frustration in failing to remove Mugabe from power has been subject of amusement here at home. All what Botswana has been venting about does not improve our economic situation for we damn know how we have been economically segregated to push… [Read Full Text]
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Mugabe and his cronies have now run out of ideas and are now afraid of their own shadows.Who on this earth would take these allegations seriously? I thank Botswana for having the spine to say their minds out and even alloe the idiots to make their stupid fact finding mission.Where did they get the foereign currency to buy the air tickets yet the country is bleeding and people are dying of cholera ? Why not put that money to buy medication? youb see how stupid and unconciderate Mugabe is