via Zim: Khama maintains SADC boycott 14/04/2014 NewZimbabwe
BOTSWANA President Ian Khama says his government has no immediate plans of redeploying its nationals to Sadc’s election observer missions.
Khama is protesting the observer group consciously endorsed Zimbabwe’s election outcome last year despite glaring evidence of vote fraud by incumbent leader Robert Mugabe.
“In the interest of public understanding and in light of recent media speculation over Botswana’s participation in Southern African Development Community (SADC) election observer missions, the Government of Botswana wishes re-affirm its position to not send official observers to participate in such missions,” the Botswana leader said through Jeff Ramsey, his spokesman.
Khama, a strong critic of President Mugabe’s rule, is adamant the observer group ignored the guidelines agreed among regional leaders as benchmarks for any poll to be declared free and fair, when it took part in Zimbabwe’s controversial July 31, 2013 poll.
President Mugabe, 90, romped to victory with a 62 percent majority of the national vote, in what his challengers felt was a stolen result.
SADC and fellow African observer missions cherry picked by the Zimbabwean leader’s government were quick to declare the poll as a free expression by Zimbabweans.
But Khama, an ally to Zimbabwe’s former Prime Minister and opposition MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai, refused to follow fellow African leaders in congratulating Mugabe.
“As has been previously communicated, Botswana’s decision to suspend its participation in SADC observer missions was taken last year after the Government of Botswana raised its concerns about compliance with the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections,” said Ramsay.
“In this respect, the Government of Botswana remains engaged on this matter with the appropriate SADC structures.”
Ramsay said the move by Khama’s government was based on principle.
“Further to the above, Botswana’s position is based on a matter of principle and thus not targeted at any institution or state.”
COMMENTS
Respect.
Hats off to you Ian. SADEC is now dead in the water because of it’s failure to flex what ever muscle they had. They have been swayed by a dictator who continues to run a country like it’s his own personal property. They have benefited from the suffering of their neighbours and have opted to support a man that continues to hold his country at ransom. Soon the giant South Africa will feel the folly of its ways. Mugabe is an old man who will soon be unable to continue in his role. Zuma is a man heading for big big trouble. He has got Malema on his back brain washing the South African Masses to follow Mugabe’s lead. The Rand continues to lose value. What a difference it would have made even if Zanu won had SADEC flexed their muscle and made sure everything was above board. Now they are looking foolish and have gone silent. AND SO CASTLES MADE OF SAND FALL IN THE SEA..EVENTUALLY.(JMH)
No one has the courage to tell the AU or SADC that the leaders are protecting each other instead of exposing the rot among them!
What a great statesman, Mr Khama you are the only hope for Africa. A true and honest leader, a true African with Ubuntu, a hero of true democracy in Africa. May God give you more years of intelligence and respect for the poor and suffering. Blessed be you and Batswana.
I salute President Khama for his principled stand, courage and vision!
We need such leaders in Africa.
WELL DONE, IAN, DONT BE PART OF THE MAFIA!
We salute you Khama. We shall not look a gift horse in the mouth.
But we do remember the days of abuse of Zimbabweans at your borders and sometimes within the country. So we hope Botswana did not chose to become principled on Zimbabwe only when diamonds were discovered and Mugabe started messing up prices with his backdoor and under the table practices.
Going forward, we look to your principled stand being reflected in your government’s handling of and policies towards Zimbabweans in general.
I salute you Ian KHAMA, you are a shining light in the darkness.
One man among no men: in SADC. I, too, salute you. may God bless Botswanna.
Great respect. SADC further tainted with bob at the helm!! Wonder how much that cost him??
Re a leboga. Seretse, re kopa o se ka sheshela mo ra go. Tswe lo pele. A tsware ma Gukurahundi, ungawa yeki!
ENKOSI – NDIYABULELA!
Has one noticed when an african leader is called to face trial at the ICC they are all in panic station including the AU who is headed by one of Zuma’s wives or ex wives have lost count!!
Icho Makaradi! Icho!
Ian, stay staunch. It is known world-wide that SADC and AU are mere fronts for tin-pot dictators bent on genocide and engendering corruption. Mugabe is a decrepit corpse who can’t even save the “President’s Elephants” run by Sharon Pincott, who has now given up due to ZANU-PF corruption and a Yank who’s claimed inheritance of land vital to the elephants so she can build a “conservancy”. Read, hunting.
Show them man of mixed race as what J Rawlings man of mixed race did in Ghana.Africa needs more of mixed race to lead it to prosperity.B Obama man of mixed race come back to Africa to help our continent.
I have no respect for Khama, he is just one Western stooge. He just can not stand up to protect real interests of Botswana.
As long as he remains in line with his handlers he will be be statesman. To me he is not!
Its fine, those are you vews. To me he is my hero. I will never ever subscribe to the Gukurahundi talk of labelling those they disagree with; which is what you are doing!!
What about Bob and his western Knighthood that he had??!! it was not a knighthood from the East but from the West until he was stripped of it??!!
While I admire his principles, it seems to me he is abdicating his responsibility to be there to speak out against election irregularities in future elections. It might mean more if he just pulled out of SADC entirely, especially after Mugabe’s recent appointment. The AU also seems to be just as guilty in supporting the tyrants of the old dictators club.