“Throw Mugabe out of SADC”

  1. Posted on Thursday 27 November 2008 - 09:12
    Sam Banda Junior
    Image of Sam Banda Junior
    Sam Banda Junior, AfricaNews reporter in Blantyre, Malawi Photo: Nihlist blogspot
    Botswana has descended heavily on Robert Mugabe with a call on the Southern African Development Cooperation (SADC) to throw him out. Botswana's foreign minister Phandu Skelemani said Mugabe's colleagues are pampering him too much and it is about time he is told in the face to put up or be sanctioned.
    Mugabe_nihlist blogspot
    Skelemani’s comment came in the heels of his president Ian Khama, who pressed SADC to fight Mugabe who has been in power since 1980.

    He said Mugabe, 84, would not last if his neighbouring countries confronted him and close the borders. "If no petrol went in for a week, he can't last," he said on Wednesday.

    This is not the first time Botswana has pressurized Mugabe to step down, recently Khama who is currently on a four day visit to Britain also called for fresh elections to solve the political crisis.

    Trouble continues to unlock in Zimbabwe despite a power sharing deal brokered by former South Africa’s president Thabo Mbeki in September.

    The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai said the talks in South Africa which began on Tuesday would not work out. Several meetings have been held to bring Mugabe and Tsvangirai who won the March elections to terms on the power sharing deal but it has flopped.

    Mbeki is holding talks with the two parties for the second time as the mediator but the opposition is said to have lost trust in him.

    A Reuters report quoted Skelemani as saying there was little confidence in mediation adding that SADC should "own up" and admit it had failed, and that it was time for strong action.

    Skelemani said Botswana would be willing to shelter Tsvangirai. Botswana is not the only country which has taken to task Mugabe, former late Zambian president Levy Mwanawasa also rebuked Mugabe for his acts.

    Three weeks ago Britain Prime minister Gordon Brown said his country was worried with the situation in Zimbabwe and called upon Mugabe and Tsvangirai to come to terms.

    The two have been at loggerheads of cabinet positions with Mugabe giving his Zanu PF key cabinet positions including Home Affairs.

    Things have gone sour in the southern African country from scarcity of food, high prices of goods and services and the recent cholera outbreak which has killed so many people.

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