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(TALKZIMBABWE) Botswana shifts policy on Zimbabwe

Botswana shifts policy on Zimbabwe
Ranganai Chidemo/Bots Sunday Standard
Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:10:00 +0000

THE government of Botswana has shifted its policy on Zimbabwe since the historic signing of the power-sharing agreement between President Robert Mugabe and the leaders of the two formations of the Movement for Democratic Change, Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara.

That country’s Foreign Affairs minister, Phandu Skelemani recently told journalists that his country was back in the fold of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) and would not refuse to recognise President Mugabe simply because there was an impasse in the negotiations.

“We will continue to encourage the parties to work together to reach an agreement. I don’t think it would be proper for us to say that we don’t recognise Mugabe simply because the parties are taking too long to reach an agreement,” said the Foreign Affairs minister, over the weekend.

The shift in policy over Zimbabwe started when the current President of Botswana, Ian Seretse Khama attended the official signing ceremony of the power-sharing agreement between President Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Mutambara.

President Khama and his government were harsh critics of President Mugabe in the aftermath of the March elections. He shunned the last Sadc meeting in Pretoria because of the presence of President Mugabe.

President Mugabe took the opportunity to get back at the Tswana President, who had all along said his government would not recognize Mugabe as President after the run-off presidential election which the MDC leader withdrew from.

“Zimbabwe is a sovereign state and only the people of Zimbabwe have the fundamental right to govern it. They alone will set up governments. They alone will change those governments; no-one else has the right to decide on regime change,” said President Mugabe at the signing ceremony on September 15

“We are a sovereign people with a right of self determination. Having said that, we also recognize that as part of Africa, we cooperate within various frameworks. We must resist those who want to impose their own will on us,” added President Mugabe.

Looking at President Khama, he said: “We have (President Ian) Khama (of Botswana) here. Yes lots of things have been said, criticism has been written about him but the whole way I said nothing. Botswana, Botswana, Botswana! Ooooooh! I said I will never ever ever attack an African leader in public, never ever! In our forum of Sadc we will tell each other about what we think of each other. I said one day I will get my day!”

Last week, the Batswana government in a statement said its policy on Zimbabwe was now in line with that of the Sadc region and endorsed former South African President Thabo Mbeki’s continued facilitation in the Zimbabwean talks.

“My understanding is that he is SADC’s envoy and I am sure that he will get the same respect he has always been accorded. We have always understood respect given to him to be respect given to SADC,” the Tswana minister said.


Zim Guardian/Sunday Standard (Botswana)

Labels: BOTSWANA

posted by MrK @ 1:04 AM