ANC dismisses Zim claim of Zambia, Botswana attack

ANC dismisses Zim claim of Zambia, Botswana attack
Written by Chibaula Silwamba, Fridah Zinyama and Mutuna Chanda
Tuesday, December 16, 2008 8:38:26 PM

AFRICAN National Congress (ANC) head of International Relations Ebrahim Ebrahim has said the Zimbabwean government is trying to find scapegoats for its own problems by accusing Zambia and Botswana of planning military intervention in that county.

And delegates to the Young Communist League of South Africa (YCLSA) conference have demanded that Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe must resign with immediate effect while former South African president Thabo Mbeki must be replaced as mediator in the Zimbabwe crisis.

Meanwhile, Ebrahim has said the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU) should isolate Zimbabwe from some international institutions on the continent.

Asked about reports that Zimbabwe was accusing Zambia and Botswana of planning to use a military intervention against President Robert Mugabe’s government, Ebrahim said: “I think Zimbabwe is trying to find scapegoats for its own problems.”

He, however, said military intervention could escalate the problems in Zimbabwe and the southern African region.

“You can’t find a solution by invading Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is a sovereign state and if you invade Zimbabwe, you will get into long arm conflict and could even destabilise the region. What needs to be done is for SADC to exert more pressure on Zanu-PF and all the parties in Zimbabwe to resolve the problems,” Ebrahim said. “Any protests should come from the people of Zimbabwe themselves and not people outside Zimbabwe. The Zimbabweans themselves have not called for military intervention and I think it will be wrong for southern African states to call for military intervention.”

He said military intervention would not resolve any problems in Zimbabwe.

“If there will be any military intervention, the matter should be taken to the African Union because they have the mandate in the case of very serious human rights violations in the case of genocide, they have the power to intervene,” said Ebrahim.

And according to the recommendations of the commission on international affairs, the delegates to the YCLSA conference demanded that the police in Zimbabwe must release political prisoners.

“To return to the confidence of the political mediation process supplanting former president Thabo as the mediator, a senior government employee should be appointed as a new mediator. We call upon President Robert Mugabe to resign with immediate effect and give way to a free democratic process,” they stated.

And the delegates recommended that King Mswati of Swaziland and his family members should be barred from travelling to South Africa over his human rights violations and extravagant use of public resources.

On Swaziland, the delegates demanded that King Mswati the III should be relieved of his duties as chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) organ on defence, security and peace.

The delegates called for international campaign of cultural and economic boycott and sanctions on King Mswati and his family’s investments in strategic sectors to reduce on his extravagant lifestyle.

“Those actions should include banning King Mswati and his family’s visit to the Republic of South Africa...not to register the children from any of the beneficiaries of the brutal royal family and boycott all South African companies providing arms to Mswati,” they recommended. “We appeal for urgent and unconditional release of PODEMO president Mario Masuku.”

The delegates also called for the democratisation of Swaziland.

The conference was attended by over 800 delegates from all provinces in South Africa, international and local guests.