via Botswana says its position on Zim has not changed | SW Radio Africa by Nomalanga Moyo
The Botswana government maintains that its position on Zimbabwe’s recent election outcome has not changed, despite the country not voicing its concerns at the SADC summit in Lilongwe, Malawi.
Going into the summit, Botswana had indicated that it would be demanding that the disputed poll be discussed, and that it would also be calling for an independent audit, following widespread irregularities observed during the poll.
But the summit not only endorsed President Robert Mugabe’s re-election, it also saw him elected the deputy chairperson of the regional bloc, without any public objections from Botswana.
It has now emerged that Botswana’s silence was a result of serious lobbying by Malawian President Joyce Banda, to convince Botswana’s skeptical President to endorse Mugabe’s election.
The Zimbabwe Independent newspaper said Friday it took Banda three days to canvas support for Mugabe, starting with negotiations with the Botswana Foreign Affairs minister Phandu Skelemani, culminating in a tense one-on-one meeting between Mugabe and Ian Khama last Sunday.
“Banda reportedly took Mugabe’s side throughout the meeting, prompting Khama to agree to withdraw his calls for an election re-run,” the Independent said.
Despite going along with the rest of the SADC leaders, a Foreign Affairs Ministry official in Botswana told SW Radio Africa’s Tanonoka Whande on Friday that the country has not changed its stance on the Zim election.
“While Botswana is maintaining its position, they are carefully managing the information they are putting out, I guess because even as Khama is well-known for being vocal, he also does not want to be seen to be antagonising SADC.”
Crisis in Zimbabwe spokesman Thabani Mpofu said most SADC leaders had already pre-empted Botswana’s position by congratulating Mugabe before the summit.
“What is important is that Botswana had already expressed its views about the irregularities it observed during the elections, and it did not alter that position during the summit.
“Even if Khama had spoken, given the applause that the rest of the delegates extended to Mugabe, Khama’s protestations would have been like a dog barking at the sun,” Mpofu said.
Mpofu also observed that by missing the opening ceremony where Mugabe was applauded, Khama had made his displeasure known.
It is not clear what the regional leaders, led by Banda, said to shut Khama up.
However, Whande said that most of Africa’s elections have been beset with reports of rigging and irregularities: “It is possible that some skeletons might have been mentioned to buy Khama’s silence.”
COMMENTS
Perhaps Malawi and Zimbabwe should obtain all the required aid to feed their people from each other instead of the evil Western states. There is certainly enough stolen money and assets knocking around to fund this.
This SADC organisation seems to stand for the group’s leaders than the ordinary people of the region. These presidents don’t care at all about their people as long as they are in power.
SADC-Southern African Dictators Club,that was a mere stupid move all SADC delegates made,the air was not clear about the disputed poll in Zimbabwe but they endorsed Mugabe to be the chairperson.Irregardless of that age must matter because at his age he is now thinking and acting like a toddler.Its really revealing Africa is full of greedy,ruthless dictators!!!
Clowns! A few weeks ago he told them off after they suggested the election date be pushed back. Maybe they take drugs. They are all at his back and call. They even dissolved the previously signed to sadc appeals court because Mugabe said do. Self centred corrupt idiots.
You stupid black person called Rudadiso there is nothing rudadiso about you . you have brains equal to the chimpanzee.zimb belongs to zimbs,if you day dream that your whites will rule zim you are mistaken you chimpanzee.after 1000yrs zimb will be no1 .go to hell leave my president alone actually we must hunt you down for supporting the whites .
Maybe your first act should be to hunt down a brain cell for yourself,you racist imbecile!
of course rudadiso is right. junior says it all that he or she is junior. if he or she is benefitting from the stysem, not many are. wherever people talk about self emancipation from dictators, people whose snouts are in the trough talk of whites, who have long left the zimbabwe issue. it doesnt work anymore because zimbos are now clever and they see through these lies. mugabe as you say, is your president but not everyone’s. he dtole the election using israeli intelligence and he knows he is no longer popular. thats why there is no celebrations like before in the whole country. he must just go. zimbabweans are sick and tired of this smelly 89-90 year old as if there is noone in zanu pf to lead the country. go mugabe go. you stink.
A stupid president Khama who cant stand the truth. What a coward.
Me thinks you is the stupid one. I guess in Zim you are living in HEAVEN….. We HEAVEN got food, we HEAVEN got jobs, we HEAVEN got a stable government, we HEAVEN got electricity, we HEAVEN got fuel, and just for you…. please say it out loud….. I HEAVEN GOT A BRAIN CELL!!!!! You have to be one of the most idiotic people I have had the (dis)pleasure of communicating with. He who can’t stand the truth is MAD BOB, he goes to Malawi (an African country) with his own car, because he does not believe that they can protect him, funny how all the other (democratically elected) presidents, used the vehicle provided by the Malawi government. He is so popular, that he needs to be protected from what…..? And don’t start with the “imperialists want to get rid of him” story, they have bigger issues on their plates than to deal with a self-centred megalomaniac who would rather see his own people die of starvation, than say he lost an election (actually 2 elections – 2008 as well), fair and square. It’s amazing how he has to use terror to make the people who “love and admire” him, to vote for him. Botswana, is not an ideal democracy (no country in the world is), but, it is a democracy that works, and the will of the people is respected. President Khama is a man of honour. The BDP have lost ward and by-elections, and there is no terrorising of villagers, etc. Wake up and smell the coffee, Mugabe has ruined Zimbabwe, a once beautiful country that was the envy of every African nation and alot of other countries. What was it called…. The Breadbasket of Africa…. and today…. The BASKETCASE of Africa.
Been watching Chris Maroleng’s “Africa 360..” on 24/08/13 in which a debate on SADC ensued.Those that eat from the same SADC table with dictators see and smell nothing about this organisation.On its inception,SADC was meant to free S.A. through regional concerted effort and resources.Once the mission was accomplished the regional bloc lost sight and relish on the lavish coming together to perpetuate their staying in power at all cost disregarding the basic democratic rights of their people.The attrocities they unleashed on their people make them scared to leave their positions to young and energetic leaders.All they care about is to mantain the status quo.They wait for death to catch up with them.SADC has no value or relevence in the life of ordinary you and me.Only if its objectives are aligned to the needs of its people would we regard it otherwise.Khama is one out of 15 muppets who see no evil in what they do.He cannot change the views of this club of ego-centric maniacs.The rest run scared of such dictators as Bob the clown of Zim and dos Santos of Angola.
Me thinks you is the stupid one. I guess in Zim you are living in HEAVEN….. We HEAVEN got food, we HEAVEN got jobs, we HEAVEN got a stable government, we HEAVEN got electricity, we HEAVEN got fuel, and just for you…. please say it out loud….. I HEAVEN GOT A BRAIN CELL!!!!! You have to be one of the most idiotic people I have had the (dis)pleasure of communicating with. He who can’t stand the truth is MAD BOB, he goes to Malawi (an African country) with his own car, because he does not believe that they can protect him, funny how all the other (democratically elected) presidents, used the vehicle provided by the Malawi government. He is so popular, that he needs to be protected from what…..? And don’t start with the “imperialists want to get rid of him” story, they have bigger issues on their plates than to deal with a self-centred megalomaniac who would rather see his own people die of starvation, than say he lost an election (actually 2 elections – 2008 as well), fair and square. It’s amazing how he has to use terror to make the people who “love and admire” him, to vote for him. Botswana, is not an ideal democracy (no country in the world is), but, it is a democracy that works, and the will of the people is respected. President Khama is a man of honour. The BDP have lost ward and by-elections, and there is no terrorising of villagers, etc. Wake up and smell the coffee, Mugabe has ruined Zimbabwe, a once beautiful country that was the envy of every African nation and alot of other countries. What was it called…. The Breadbasket of Africa…. and today…. The BASKETCASE of Africa.