Maravi

(NEWZIMBABWE) Mugabe threatens to reject Zuma

COMMENT - Oh no, the dictator and tyrant is threatening to hold elections that should have been held last year but were objected to by the 'democratic opposition'.

Mugabe threatens to reject Zuma
19/02/2012 00:00:00
by Gilbert Nyambabvu

PRESIDENT Robert has stepped-up his campaign to force fresh elections this year by warning Zimbabwe could reject SADC-appointed mediator and South African president Jacob Zuma.

Mugabe wants new polls held this year but faces stiff opposition from long-term rival and coalition partner, Morgan Tsvangirai who is demanding that reforms agreed under the terms of their power-sharing pact must be implemented first.

And President Zuma and his facilitation team have riled Mugabe and his Zanu PF party by appearing to side with Tsvangirai and insisting political reforms must be completed to ensure the poll outcome is not disputed.

But speaking in a series of interviews with state media ahead of his 88th birthday Tuesday, Mugabe – who is frustrated by delays in completing work on a new constitution -- said Zimbabwe may be forced to reject Zuma as mediator.

“Zuma tinokwanisa kumuramba masikati machena (we can reject Zuma very easily). Takatomuudza izvozvo tikati aiwa (we have since warned him that) we are not forced to, but we don't want to do that, tinoda kunzwanana,” Mugabe was quoted as saying in an interview with Radio Zimbabwe expected to be broadcast Monday night.

He said rejection of Zuma would not affect Zimbabwe’s relations with South Africa emphasizing that the ANC leader was mediating on behalf of the regional SADC grouping and not his country.

"Facilitators that we are given are leaders selected on the basis of their standing to assist a country that has differences so that the country can find a common ground and resolve its differences," Mugabe said.

"Facilitators do not carry the name of their home country to the countries they would be facilitating."

The Zanu PF leader said there was precedent for such change of mediators in the region, recalling that ex-Botswana President Sir Ketumile Masire was rejected by Lesotho after the government there accused him of bias towards the opposition.

Mugabe has previously expressed exasperation with Zuma’s efforts to broker a deal leading to new elections between the country’s warring coalition partners.

The Zimbabwean leader reacted angrily last April when a report by Zuma resulted in Zanu PF getting an unusually strong rebuke from regional leaders at a SADC meeting in Zambia.

Mugabe returned home to tell a Zanu PF meeting that he would not take instructions from Zuma on how to run the country.

"We will not brook any dictation from any source. We are a sovereign country. Even our neighbours cannot dictate to us. We will resist that,” the Zanu PF leader charged then.

"The facilitator is the facilitator and must facilitate dialogue."
"He cannot prescribe anything. We prescribe what we should do in accordance with our laws and our agreement."

Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS (ZIMBABWE), JACOB ZUMA, SADC

posted by MrK @ 2:01 PM