Ernest Mabuza
24 November 2008
Johannesburg — BOTSWANA's President Ian Khama flew into SA yesterday in an attempt to persuade SA to press Zimbabwean politicians to resolve their long-standing dispute on power-sharing.
Khama requested the meeting during the week because SA currently chairs the Southern African Development Community (SADC) presidency, President Kgalema Motlanthe's spokesman, Thabo Masebe, said yesterday.
Khama said he and Motlanthe agreed to "do anything in our power" to break the impasse in Zimbabwe , where the parties have not implemented a power-sharing deal brokered by former president Thabo Mbeki in September.
"Our biggest concern is that the focus is moving away from the plight of the Zimbabwean people, who are suffering through starvation and disease," Khama said.
Zimbabwe's neighbours such as Botswana have felt the effect of the crisis, with millions of Zimbabweans fleeing across borders in search of jobs and security.
Khama, one of the region's toughest critics on Zimbabwe, earlier this month called for an internationally supervised rerun of the presidential poll. It is, however, unclear how much influence Khama or Botswana can exert on the 15-member SADC, which has done little to bring an end to the problems in Zimbabwe.
Political analyst Steven Friedman said Botswana was not a major force in SADC, nor was the country influential enough on its own to force change in Zimbabwe.
David Moore, professor of d evelopment s tudies at the University of Johannesburg, said Khama was emblematic of a younger generation that did not want to kowtow to the old guard.
Moore said, however, if Botswana persisted in being vociferous against Mugabe, Mugabe might accuse Botswana of being a lackey of the US.
Mugabe had always waited until something went his way. "Waiting suits him," Moore said.
Khama yesterday also met the so-called Elders humanitarian delegation of former United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan, former US president Jimmy Carter and advocate for women and children's rights Graça Machel . The three were denied entry to Zimbabwe at the weekend.
Motlanthe is scheduled to meet the Elders today.
With AP
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Mugabe is playing the wait till you die game. I kept getting surprised why and how Kamuzu Banda created so much fear even as he got so old and senile that he could not even walk. It is because world leaders assume that any leader serves his people, even when the opposite is abundantly clear. Mugabe is one such senile and dying dictator. He wants as many people as posisble to die before him. He vowed an X cannot change things, and in their naivety world leaders thought he was joking. He will always have his way unless everyone sees him for who he is - a man-killing dictator. We know people are dying in dozens from Cholera and that Zimbabweans need help, even from UN security council - bacause a nation is at risk. Yet Mugabe is prepared and allowed to say no to the world's most respected coming in to help.
At the very core of the Zimbabwe "problem" is Mbeki. He has consistantly sided with Mugabe in every decision. Mugabe feels safe in continuing his actions because he knows Mbeki will back him 100%. Remove Mbeki from the equation and suddenly things will begin to fall into place. And please, forget this idea of a unity government. Who in their wildest dreams ever thought such an idea would actually work? People who hate each other will never work as a team. One side will prove stronger and destroy the other side. Oh,,,isn't that what happend two decades ago in Zimbabwe? How history repeats itself!
Well done for that accurate assessment..that murdering little thug whose hands are dripping with the blood of his countryfolk needs to be put before a firing squad asap..along with the other thieving murdering zanu thugs...all of them..including that murdering chief of police and that murdering perence shiri..the whole lot...we need to rid zimbabwe of the cancer of these murderers before we can start afresh...only then can there be talk of a "unity" govt...ie..the people united behind a legitimate govt!
I most certainly agree with you whole heartedly it’s impossible to work with ZANUPF because they are a unilateral party which neither understands team work or negotiations. The main problem we have are these gangsters namely Perence Shiri, an accomplished serial killer handpicked by Mugabe himself. How then can you have a legitimate government with such people on “the driver’s sit”? Again I will reiterate the sole reason Mugabe removed white commanders from the Army, Police and Air force was so he could operate without impunity. We need a system in which Rhodesians are allowed to manage the some of the security apparatus to guarantee peace and security to everyone if not then we need a buffer zone starting at lalapanzi cutting across east all the way into Chipinge and the west all the way up to Hwange. Zanu can take anything north of lalapanzi and all the freedom loving people will stay south. This is the conclusion I came too, who has time to figure out Mugabe or spend time arguing with Zanu supporters, recent election have attested that ZANU are the minority who revert to violence when things do not work for them.
I was listening to the BBC Network this morning when I heard some people have started blaming Morgan for his stubborness to cooperate with Mugabe.I want the people of Zimbabwe to realise that Morgan should not be castigated for being too selfish or oblivious to their sufferings.Mugabe and his cohort should not be trusted.You can see from the simple fact that they altered certain sections of the Agreement is a manifestation that they are only signing because they are pushed.Morgan has seen this and he his taking his time not to get into that trap because if he gets it wrong and ZANU-PF maintain their usual grip then you will go back to square one.Be patient.You have suffered for too long but not any longer from now.Mugabe and ZANU-PF are going trust me.It is just a matter of short time.
Morgan is certainly to blame because people voted for him to change things but he is refusing to do so - he withdrew from the runoff and denied people the chance to vote Mugabe out, claiming he was doing this for the people's welfare. Now he has a chance to work for the people's welfare but then he refuses advice from SADC and the Elders to get on with the job of changing things from inside the government. He now wants a fresh election when there is little chance of that being free and fair. So what exactly does this man stand for - the welfare of the people or just plain power? Certainly not the interests of the ordinary people.
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