Mugabe / Mbeki etc

[R1Geezer]

Can anyone explain why Mbeki keeps suppoprting Mugabe when it must be doing huge damage to South Africa? South Africa particularly, but all the neighbours together could solve this if they wanted to, can they not see and utter dismanltling of civilisation before their eyes?

[beanebabe]

It really makes you wonder! It must be all the corruption that goes on. I have a friend who is Zimbabwean and even she doesn't understand. Mbeki is probably getting some of the money Mugabe is embezelling from the country. It is a disgrace when the UK and USA have waded into other countries problems for less.

[Gromit]

Mbeki is not supporting Mugabe. Zimbabwe is a neighbouring country but and it is not in South Africas interest to see it collapse or decend into a humanitarian crisis.

Mbeki is talking to everyone to try and get a solution in Zimbabwe.

"Mbeki earlier met opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai in Harare to secure support for the cancellation of the runoff, which, it is understood, is supported by the Southern African Development Community and other leaders in Africa and abroad.

"Mbeki tried to secure the first-ever meeting between Mugabe and Tsvangirai to resolve the deadlock through talks, but he did not get a clear commitment from Mugabe. Tsvangirai agreed to meet Mugabe to discuss a resolution of the crisis. Mbeki and former Nigerian p resident Olusegun Obasanjo tried but failed five years ago to get the two to meet."

http://allafrica.com/stories/200806190007.html

Possibly, he has seen the disastrous consequenscs of enforced regime change (as practised by the UK and US), and he is going all-out to avoid making the same mistake.

[david1702198]

because they seem to think its not their problem that it is Britain and Americas problem to sort. Funny how they pick and choose when they want Britain and the USA involved but any other time they get told to mind their own business

[nedflanders]

Gromit - "Enforced regime change" i think you'll find that Tsvangirai actually won the real election, so it would be a case of putting the rightful man/party into power.

[Gromit]

nedflanders

It is up to Zimbabwians to put the rightful man/party in power. It is frustrating to watch this miserable story pan out, but South African, Britain or the US should not wade in and sort it out.

If Mugabe is deposed by SA, UK or US actions, then he will vindicated because he has blamed them for everything. Outside meddling will catapult him from zero to hero at a stroke, and I am sure you do not want that.

[cardiacbleed]

@ David1702198, who are "they"? you seem to be implying SA? or do you mean those pathetic lefties? as far as i can see no one particularly is seriously asking the Uk or US to invade??

[sp1214]

If we were to say that the blacks in this country have brought us down it will be classed as racist. When Mugabe says it about the whites every neighbouring country believes it.

[Gromit]

UN Security Council condemns Zimbabwe violence

"The UN Security Council unanimously (including South African, China and Russia) agreed to take its first formal action on Zimbabwe by condemning violence against the opposition and ruling that a free and fair presidential run-off was impossible."

Mugabe's friends can see his time is almost up, irrespective of winning a farcial election on Friday.

[raysparx1]

So as I have asked this before, why hasn't Nelson Mandela, condemned Mugabe? this man is supposedly respected worldwide but the quitness that surrounds his words regarding Mugabe is deafening by its abscence, does he not care? also South Africa could sort this without fail cut off the electricity to them.

[Gromit]

raysparx1

Brilliant. Cut off the electric.

Now who would that hurt? Would it be the dictator and his ilk in their palaces with generators, or the 13 million destitute poor who are already suffering?

[WaldoMcFroog]

Mandela has denounced Mugabe several times going back years.

Back in 2000 he denounced Mugabe as "a tyrant who has held on to power for too long".

In November 2007, Mandela, via the Elders group, made suggestions to Mugube that he should retire in order to try and retain some respect from his fellow Africans. Mugabe, obviously, refused.

Mugabe famously hates Mandela with a passion, going back to the foriegn intervention in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1998, and apparently believes Mandela has been given praise he himself should have received, so is unlikely to give much of a toss what Mandela thinks.

[raysparx1]

Gromit most of the poor do not have electric, they would hardly suffer anymore, all supplies could be cut off, including fuel the poor are suffering anyway, this man must be gotten rid of.

Waldo, it needs in my opinion, Mandela to do this now, he is one of the only blacks in the world that other blacks will listen to, I am not saying Mugabe will listen, he is a law unto himself, I hope if nothing else is done he gets shot.

[WaldoMcFroog]

Yes - perhaps they could employ the same crack CIA genuises who attempted to kill Castro with exploding cigars.

[Gromit]

raysparx1

The rural poor do not have grid electricity, but the urban poor do. And they both rely on electricity at their workplace for their income. South Africa has already decreased its supplies to Zimbabwe because SA needs it and Zimbabwe cannot afford to buy it. Electricity supplies in Harare are cut for 8 hours everyday, and sometimes for 2 days at a time. It is not the leaders that suffer it is the poor.

Sounds like you just want to punish them for letting Mugabe get away with it.