Zimbabwe ‘is a sinking Titanic’

ZAMBIAN President Levy Mwanawasa has urged southern African countries to seize the moment and take a new approach on Zimbabwe, which he compared to a “sinking Titanic”, as millions flee the turmoil in their country.

“Quiet diplomacy has failed to help solve the political chaos and economic meltdown in Zimbabwe,” Mwanawasa said in Windhoek on Tuesday night. In one of the strongest African statements yet on the crisis in Zimbabwe, he said it was time for a “fresh start” in SADC relations with Zimbabwe.The Zambian head of state was speaking at a state banquet hosted in his honour by President Hifikepunye Pohamba.’IT’S UP TO US’ “As I am speaking right now, one SADC country has sunk into such economic difficulties that it may be likened to a sinking Titanic whose passengers are jumping out in a bid to save their lives,” Mwanawasa said.The member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) should engage Zimbabwe’s leadership in dialogue, he added.”If all SADC member states have a common destiny, they must all surely rise and lend a helping hand when one of them should run into serious difficulties,” President Mwanawasa said.Former President Sam Nujoma, a staunch and outspoken ally of 83-year-old President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, was also present at the dinner.Mwanawasa arrived in Namibia on Tuesday for a five-day state visit.The situation in Zimbabwe is regarded as volatile after Mugabe’s government unleashed a brutal crackdown on parliamentarians and other members of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).Many have been brutally beaten up and tortured in the last two weeks, sparking an international outcry, but a generally muted response from African leaders.”The nationals of the said country [Zimbabwe] are abandoning it in hundreds on a daily basis and crossing its borders in search of ‘any means of survival in all the neighbouring states and beyond’,” the Zambian leader said.NAMIBIA OPTS FOR SILENCE Earlier on Tuesday, the Namibian Government said it had taken note of the public outcry on the internal security situation in Zimbabwe, she said.”Namibia is a peace-loving nation and believes that a country’s socio-economic development and the well-being of its citizens are dependent on a stable political and socio-economic environment,” Information Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah told reporters at a press briefing on the latest Cabinet resolutions.”Namibia has never and will never condone violence, as it is not in the best interest of a country or its people.Namibia is, therefore, of the opinion that peace and stability in Zimbabwe is important to allow the citizens of that country to continue with their normal lives,” she said.”The Namibian Government is convinced that the Government of President Robert Mugabe and the people of that country have the capacity and the will to solve its own domestic problems without the interference of other countries.”It was also encouraging to learn from the Zimbabwean Ambassador in Namibia that her Government did not condone the violence in Zimbabwe and that investigations were underway to establish the true cause and real culprits responsible for the violence,” the Information Minister said.’LET’S HELP’ Yesterday, former Zambian president Kenneth Kaunda, another historic ally of Mugabe, urged African leaders to appoint a committee of eminent people to mediate the worsening political crisis in Zimbabwe.Despite the outrage, Mugabe has remained unrepentant.”I don’t think he thinks of himself being in power because of public support.He stays in power through the use of terror,” Nampa-AFP quoted South African analyst Moeletsi Mbeki as saying.Zimbabwean political commentator Bill Saidi said the latest round of criticism would make some in Mugabe’s ruling Zanu-PF party think about “where they are going”.”But Mugabe is determined to go down fighting.At 83 he has lost the flexibility to change his stand,” Nampa-AFP quoted Saidi as saying.On Tuesday, Mwanawasa indicated that “quiet diplomacy” needed to be revisited.”Zambia has so far been an advocate of quiet diplomacy and continues to believe in it, but the twist of events in the troubled country necessitates the adoption of a new approach,” Mwanawasa said at the state banquet.”Zambia is inclined, in conjunction with other neighbours or other willing SADC countries alone, to explore the possibility of engaging our brothers and sisters in the leadership of this distressed country in a more supportive manner,” he said.”Lest I am misunderstood, I wish to state categorically that the Zambian government excludes the direct or indirect involvement of any foreign state which is not a SADC member, in its quest to dialogue with its counterpart in the troubled country.Zambia is convinced that time has come for a fresh start in our relations with our common neighbour,” the Zambian head of state said.Meanwhile, The Namibian has reliably learnt that a meeting of the SADC troika on Zimbabwe – Namibia, Tanzania and Lesotho – which was scheduled for March 26 and 27 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, has been postponed.”No new date has been set and the reason for the postponement is not known, a SADC diplomat, who attended the state banquet Tuesday night, told The Namibian.The troika consists of the previous chairman of SADC, which is Namibia, the incumbent (Tanzania) and the future chair, which is Lesotho.* Yesterday, 10 people were arrested for staging a sit-in at Zimbabwe’s embassy in London in support of the opposition in their country.”Contrary to what Mugabe wants the world to believe about the MDC, it’s a peaceful organisation, Zimbabwean Mary Kasirowore told Reuters.In one of the strongest African statements yet on the crisis in Zimbabwe, he said it was time for a “fresh start” in SADC relations with Zimbabwe.The Zambian head of state was speaking at a state banquet hosted in his honour by President Hifikepunye Pohamba. ‘IT’S UP TO US’ “As I am speaking right now, one SADC country has sunk into such economic difficulties that it may be likened to a sinking Titanic whose passengers are jumping out in a bid to save their lives,” Mwanawasa said.The member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) should engage Zimbabwe’s leadership in dialogue, he added.”If all SADC member states have a common destiny, they must all surely rise and lend a helping hand when one of them should run into serious difficulties,” President Mwanawasa said.Former President Sam Nujoma, a staunch and outspoken ally of 83-year-old President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, was also present at the dinner. Mwanawasa arrived in Namibia on Tuesday for a five-day state visit.The situation in Zimbabwe is regarded as volatile after Mugabe’s government unleashed a brutal crackdown on parliamentarians and other members of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).Many have been brutally beaten up and tortured in the last two weeks, sparking an international outcry, but a generally muted response from African leaders.”The nationals of the said country [Zimbabwe] are abandoning it in hundreds on a daily basis and crossing its borders in search of ‘any means of survival in all the neighbouring states and beyond’,” the Zambian leader said.NAMIBIA OPTS FOR SILENCE Earlier on Tuesday, the Namibian Government said it had taken note of the public outcry on the internal security situation in Zimbabwe, she said.”Namibia is a peace-loving nation and believes that a country’s socio-economic development and the well-being of its citizens are dependent on a stable political and socio-economic environment,” Information Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah told reporters at a press briefing on the latest Cabinet resolutions.”Namibia has never and will never condone violence, as it is not in the best interest of a country or its people.Namibia is, therefore, of the opinion that peace and stability in Zimbabwe is important to allow the citizens of that country to continue with their normal lives,” she said.”The Namibian Government is convinced that the Government of President Robert Mugabe and the people of that country have the capacity and the w
ill to solve its own domestic problems without the interference of other countries.”It was also encouraging to learn from the Zimbabwean Ambassador in Namibia that her Government did not condone the violence in Zimbabwe and that investigations were underway to establish the true cause and real culprits responsible for the violence,” the Information Minister said.’LET’S HELP’ Yesterday, former Zambian president Kenneth Kaunda, another historic ally of Mugabe, urged African leaders to appoint a committee of eminent people to mediate the worsening political crisis in Zimbabwe.Despite the outrage, Mugabe has remained unrepentant.”I don’t think he thinks of himself being in power because of public support.He stays in power through the use of terror,” Nampa-AFP quoted South African analyst Moeletsi Mbeki as saying.Zimbabwean political commentator Bill Saidi said the latest round of criticism would make some in Mugabe’s ruling Zanu-PF party think about “where they are going”.”But Mugabe is determined to go down fighting.At 83 he has lost the flexibility to change his stand,” Nampa-AFP quoted Saidi as saying.On Tuesday, Mwanawasa indicated that “quiet diplomacy” needed to be revisited.”Zambia has so far been an advocate of quiet diplomacy and continues to believe in it, but the twist of events in the troubled country necessitates the adoption of a new approach,” Mwanawasa said at the state banquet.”Zambia is inclined, in conjunction with other neighbours or other willing SADC countries alone, to explore the possibility of engaging our brothers and sisters in the leadership of this distressed country in a more supportive manner,” he said.”Lest I am misunderstood, I wish to state categorically that the Zambian government excludes the direct or indirect involvement of any foreign state which is not a SADC member, in its quest to dialogue with its counterpart in the troubled country.Zambia is convinced that time has come for a fresh start in our relations with our common neighbour,” the Zambian head of state said.Meanwhile, The Namibian has reliably learnt that a meeting of the SADC troika on Zimbabwe – Namibia, Tanzania and Lesotho – which was scheduled for March 26 and 27 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, has been postponed.”No new date has been set and the reason for the postponement is not known, a SADC diplomat, who attended the state banquet Tuesday night, told The Namibian.The troika consists of the previous chairman of SADC, which is Namibia, the incumbent (Tanzania) and the future chair, which is Lesotho.* Yesterday, 10 people were arrested for staging a sit-in at Zimbabwe’s embassy in London in support of the opposition in their country.”Contrary to what Mugabe wants the world to believe about the MDC, it’s a peaceful organisation, Zimbabwean Mary Kasirowore told Reuters.