Zim cost Mbeki his presidency – Zanu-PF MP

via Zim cost Mbeki his presidency – Zanu-PF MP | News24 2014-02-17

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party legislators are reportedly pushing for a street to be named after former president Thabo Mbeki for “bringing stability to the country” following the disputed 2008 polls.

Mbeki helped broker a now defunct power sharing agreement between the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and Zanu-PF following a disputed election in 2008 which left at least 200 people dead.

According to the Daily News, a Zanu-PF legislator Reuben Marumahoko urged Zimbabweans to appreciate the work done by the “African icon” who “made Zimbabwe to be what it is today after the difficulties we went through during the 2008 elections where the regime change agenda was at play”.

He said Mbeki was the “son of the soil” and “a principled man” who helped the country when “the enemies of Africa and Zimbabwe were ready to pounce on Zimbabwe”.

MDC against the proposal 

Mbeki was criticised for his quiet diplomacy in dealing with the Zimbabwean issue and this, Marumahoko said was the reason why he (Mbeki) lost his presidency.

Marumahoko said Mbeki was recalled “not [because] people of SA did not want him” but because “the enemies of Africa did not want him”.

He said Mbeki lost his presidency for helping Zimbabweans.

Marumahoko urged all MPs to support his motion to name one of “our roads after him like we did to Nelson Mandela and other African leaders”.

MDC legislators were, however, opposed to the proposal, accusing Mbeki of having propped up Zanu-PF, the report said.