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Botswana's President Ian Khama has warned that Zimbabwe's powersharing government is on the verge of collapse with ZANU PF refusing to implement key issues agreed to. Speaking to the AFP news agency, on the sidelines of a rally in Botswana ahead of elections there, Khama said of the coalition, 'It is limping along and there is a real danger that the whole thing could collapse.
Its been 8 months since the shaky coalition was put together but there has been no progress in resolving problems around the appointment of key officials, including a deputy minister, provincial governors, central bank governor, attorney general and ambassadors. Even some ministerial mandates earlier agreed to are being unilaterally tampered with by Mugabe.
If the MDC were looking for signs of regional support in the event of them pulling out, Khama certainly provided the first one. He told journalists 'If it was to collapse for genuine reasons we would certainly not recognise a ZANU-only government or certainly not one headed by President Robert Mugabe because he certainly did not win the presidential election last year.'
Khama has remained Mugabe's strongest critic in the region and was the first to break rank with fellow SADC leaders, who continue to opt for quiet appeasement. After Morgan Tsvangirai won the March 2008 presidential election a bloody campaign of violence and intimidation run by the military under the Joint Operations Command was to see him withdraw from the subsequent run-off. Khama made it clear then that Botswana would not recognise Mugabe's flawed win in the one man presidential run off.
Sources close to the power sharing talks last year insist Khama and Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete advised Tsvangirai not to sign the deal until all the MDC demands had been met. This was not to happen and the MDC signed up to the deal on the understanding that outstanding issues would be resolved once they were in government. Evidence so far suggests that might have been a hasty decision and took away all of their bargaining power.
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Sounds like the usual rubbish from SW Radio. Always trying to divide countries in Africa 10,000 miles away! President Khama has been missquoted by SW several times. Botswana knows that it needs Zimbabwe and maintaining good relationship with Zimbabwe has always been their main priority.
Remember Radio Rwanda called for the massacre of 1 million Tsutsis. And I'm afraid SW Radio is not up to any good! WHo knows what they are going to call for in future?
My dear friend Phiri must not confuse between good relations between two states & between a state and a corrupt criminal like Mugabe!
Botswana has everything to gain from the appreciation a majority of Zimbos are ready to remember for long that the neighbour is doing everything to put an end to dictatorial rule in Zimbabwe.
Those helping criminal Mugabe to prolong his bloodthirsty rule will taste the fruits of bitter defeat!
Prem, you are so obsessed with Bob to the extent that your appreciation of events in Zimbabwe is dangerously compromised. ASi Bob turned down your advances. There is nothing to celebrate apa, if anything the majority of Zimbs want this GNU to work, that is according to your dear leader Morgan, unless if he was not telling the truth about some survey he did. Whether you like it or not, ZPF, MDC and MDC form part of the solution to the crisis.
TD must be reminded that the majority of Zimbos live outside the country, most terrorized to seek refuge in neighbouring countries!!
That is why various charges of crime against humanity are awaiting criminal Mugabe at the ICC.
Throughout the democratic world, activists like me also wish the GNU to work - but not through Mugabe's humiliation tactics.
He will perish by the very sword he killed over 20,000 in Matabeleland.
Who cares what Botswana thinks, like Rwanda to the Congo, a tail wants to wag the dog fronting for its Western masters.
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