Zimbabwe’s President, Robert Mugabe will attend an emergency meeting of regional leaders on the presidential poll delay in Lusaka.
The BBC reports that his Deputy Information Minister, Bright Matonga said that if there is a SADC meeting, President Mugabe will definitely be there.
The opposition said its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, won the election outright.
It has accused the government of using the delay to engineer a second-round victory for Mr. Mugabe.
President Levy Mwanawasa, who chairs the 14-nation Sadc grouping, called the emergency meeting for Saturday.
Zambia’s Information Minister Mike Mulongoti told the BBC that Mr. Mugabe’s presence would not necessarily be helpful.
The Movement for Democratic Change’s leader, Mr. Tsvangirai, is touring Southern Africa in a bid to get regional leaders to put pressure on the Zimbabwean government to announce the results of the presidential election.
Contray to the information minister Mulongoti, I think if some sense is pumped in to Mugabe’s head as to how democracies work, he will see the sence.
GO GO SADC TALK TO UNCLE BOB. WE DO NOT NEED MORE CHAOS IN ZIM.
Tell Mugabe off. Let him know he is wrong. If Mwanawasa tells Mugabe off, i will forever respect him. LPM, its all up to you now. We shall just wait and see
I think since this is a diplomatic meeting LPM should frankly talk to Bobo but also exercise diplomacy. Imagine if we ticked off mugabe so much that he closed the chirudu, Kariba and Lstone Borders. We would suffer economically too. I am not saying bay sit this guy but he is known to be arongant leaving us only with the option of DIPLOMACY.
Mulongoti had better realize that Lusaka will have been a better platform to for the ***** to come to his senses, where he’s not in the company of his foolish puppets. I hope / wish Morgan would be allowed in.
One wonders why of all things he even allowed the elections to take place if he was only prepared to win … and never lose. It’s high time someone made him realize that Zimbabwe is sitting on a serious time bomb.
I also hope the so called SADCC representatives will NOT just be told to shut up … after all it seems like they are all scared of Mugabe! I hope they won just be sight seeing … Otherwise, let them not even waste our time and reputations as Zambians.
#4 Contd …
Mwanawasa! Please tell your friends prior to that meeting that the success of this meeting will go a long way, and especially that you seem to have passed an early public comment on this.
It’s not only about the election results, as they should be out of date by now. It’s about Mugabe stepping down. After all even the most uninformed knows Mugabe has played with these results!
interesting reading. Mr President Mwanawasa, I trust you will be bold in your slated meeting. The question we need answered is why hold elections of which you are not prepared to release the results at the end.
We all deserve to know what exactly happened as in who got what number of votes. Let the people’s wiches be respected regardless of the future outcome.
I hope for the best for all Zimbabweans and the rest of us, world citizens, in general out of the President Levy Mwanawasa organised SADC meeting to solve the Zimbabwe impasse.
in #6, wiches must read wishes.
Mugabe does not want to let go of power for fear of prosecution and arrest. He has done a lot of bad things during his rule. He can’t imagine Morgan, a man police beat up so bad that he ended up in ICU, being president of Zim. Next thing you will hear Mugabe demand for is a power sharing deal and SADC must not grant it to him.
To start with, I would like to congratulate President Mwanawasa for the timley inititative, He prudent action must be comemnded.
Dear friends, I stand as a sad african, if you look at post election trends in most african countries, you will realise that we have a serious problem in the development of our democracy. Look at Kenya, fine you have a power sharing Goivernment, which is awesomje but look at the post violence trauma, hatred and tension created by the selfish few. Hundreds are still displaced in Kenya. what worries me is that I see the trend repeating itself in most african countries. I pray that Zimbabwe does not turn out the same!
On the 29th of March 2008 the people of Zimbabwe, despite devastating circumstances stood in unison to express discontent at the wanton destruction of their country by those in whom power had been initially vested for the betterment of their country. Up to that point regional bodies such as the African Union and SADC had been compromised by their reluctance to openly criticize the situation in Zimbabwe. Today (10 days after the election) the results have still not been announced and yet it is clear to everyone who cares that Robert Gabriel Mugabe clearly lost the contest despite his reluctance to accept the outcome and relinquish power.
It is an indictment on Africa as a continent that Zimb
It is an indictment on Africa as a continent that Zimbabwe today still has NO official president and Mugabe by default is ruling by means of a veto coup whilst the African Union and SADC standby with their arms folded and their mouths shut. Zimbabweans in the Diaspora have begun a strong phone lobby to contact all known ZanuPF functionaries and demand a release of the results.
As the world knows Mugabe and his cronies have much more than an election to lose,they have their very lively hoods to lose due to the fact that they are gained from illegal means and from the pain and suffering of Zimbabweans of all colours.With this petition we the ordinary people of Zimbabwe hereby appeal to SADC, AU, and the International Community at large to please stand with the people of Zimbabwe who are being disenfranchised as the whole world watches.
ZanuPF and Mugabe have shown that diplomatic means alone will not be sufficient to resolve this issue, as we speak ZanuPF militia have been deployed to the rural areas and the abuse has began. We appeal to the conscience of African leaders to not allow them to stand idly by as another African state fails. SADC and the AU need to make it unequivocally clear that they will NOT recognize Mugabe as the president of Zimbabwe in the absence of uncontested election results.
PLEASE HELP US FREE OUR BELOVED COUNTRY FROM THIS MURDERING MAD MAN.
OUR PEOPLE ARE BEING BEATEN UP BECAUSE THEY DARED TO VOTE AGAINST MUGABE AND HIS MURDERING LOOTING BRIGADE….
LISTEN TO US THE PEOPLE PLEASE.WE ARE PAYING THE PRICE OF A SILENT AFRICA.
WHY IS AFRICA SO SILENT.WHAT ARE THE AFRICAN LEADERS AFRAID OF.
CRY MY BELOVED COUNTRY CRY TEARS OF BLOOD.
But some of your ministers!!?? Mulongoti is a piece of nothing. Levy called for meeting because of Mugabe, so his presence matters more than anything else.
Dialogue is key but old men like Mugabe are so pompus they don’t respect the rule of law. #14 I feel for you and the Great Zimbabwe. Morgan should attend the meeting and SADC should paly a special artbitrary role and diplomancy until a truce is reached.
i think mugabe shuold not have been allowed to attend the sadc meeting ! in what capacity is he attending
#3 You are right. A man under the pressure that ‘Angel Gabriel’ is undergoing right now, can make disastrous decisions, to say the least. Mr Mugabe is prepared to go down with Zimbabwe and some neighbouring countries if he is not handled caution. Yes you are right. It’s only persuation through diplomacy on Mr Mugabe that can serve Zimbabwe and the entire SADC Region from chaos. It’s the biggest test ever the SADC is faced with since its establishment and its unfortunate that our country is the current Chair of this limping Region. It s a known fact that Mugabe has never given a thought of what Zambia is since that fateful year when he re-located his Forces to Mozambique. It s a test for the
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in that iam seeing SADC splitting into segments over Zimbabwe. There maybe those for Mugabe, those against and of course those on the fence. SADC should be level headed when the Leaders meet on Saturday to serve the Regional Grouping. BRAVO #3.
Its about time. Mugabe must be taken to task.He must ecplain why he is treating a sovereign state like his junckyard. Now is th time. Abaaassshhhhh Mugabe
I wonder what this talk shop will achieve.Mugabe is stubborn he will probably walk out onthe whole bunch leaving them with a big F@#$ you.
If Mugabe tries to walk out then he is digging his own grave deeper actually. His own people will force him out. The csause of all this nonsense was created by the armed forces chiefs who said that they would salute anyone other than Mugabe. He knows that he has their support and they have guns that can kill anyone. Mugabe must go, his people have suffered enough. He has been invited to go to Malasyia once he has left his post. He can take with him all those surrounding him. He is a bastard, who thinks people will continue feeling intimidated by his mad behaviour.
Robert Robert wat a legacy u r about to leave,can somebody shoot the ***** like they did to his friend Kabila.African leaders never learn
in what capacity will bob attend the summit?both factions should attend otherwise the gatheriing will be biased in there resolution.
how far has the recount of the recount gone or is it the rigging
The way i see this is South Africa and Namibia will be for Mugabe mostly because they are also carrying out a LAND REFORM programme in their countries. Botswana, Malawi, Angola and Mozambique will be against Mugabe because they have nothing to lose. Zambia will probably be neutral because it has gained at Zimbabwe’s loss and might lose trade links with South Africa if uncle Bob decides to pull something to Ian Smith of closing the borders. This meeting will be something.
When Zambia’s economy was in bad shape, it was these stupid ZIMBABWEANS who were insulting us all the time whenever we would go to their country to purchase essentials even though we liberated them from Ian Smith. Now, they should for once enjoy standing on their two legs we gave them and enjoy their sour Mugabe grapes. Enough is enough, the stupidity of these brothers now really borders on lunancy, how can a dry 84 years old man hold them for decades by their machende like this? “Brain ya Sekuru nabrian ya follishman zino pindrana”
This great move by LPM should be an opportunity for the international community not only the SADC, but the AU and the UN. Further I would suggest that while the other SADC leaders are having a session on how to address the Zim crisis, some former regional Leaders should also be invited and provide their experience and counselling to the Mr Mugabe. I have in mind Dr Sam Nuuyoma of Namibia, Festus Mogae of Botswana, Joachim Chissano of Mozambique and the two former leaders of Tanzania and obviously our very own KK and FTJ. They are the best people to talk to uncle Bob on some issues. Those in his league! So in short YES BOB and Morgan can come but they must be observers!
What the heckis Mugabe coming to lsk for?
I hope he ll bring the answer as to why the results have not been released. Its really shameful the way that ka old man portrays his arrogance.
I hope SADC leaders ll this time have the guts to tell him off
#26. please, please. Someone said two wrongs will not make a right.
The Zimbos might have done unthinkable stuff on us Zedians, but we still have to help them.
We helped them in the liberation struggle and how nice will it be if we can help them even in their current problem.Consistence is necessary as we go ahead in life.
#27, it would be gr8 if Mugabe contributes in the meetings and Tsvangirai observes. Then later, let Tsvangirai meet the opposition leaders of Zed while Mugabe must meet the KK, FTJ and other former presidents from other African states.
Dr. Mugabe is only coming to the meeting to shout down anyone who speaks against him. He will go into his familiar semantics of ‘who are you to talk about Zimbabwe?’. Diplomacy is not a virtue to be exercised against a being who refuses to exercise it against other leaders and against his own people. If he goes into his usual rants someone should have the guts to hit back equally. I would be proud if my presdo LPM does that. Mugabe is a tyrant and which ever SADC presdo tells this to his face is a hero for a liberalised people. I’m proud that KK refused to shake the hand of tyrant Idi Amin at an OAU summit.
# Nope you got it wrong. namiba has a new president, whose ideals are different from Nujoma,who was a close buddy of Bob. Wa Mutharika of Malawi supplied bob with a lot of maize and foodstuffs and his late wife came from zimbabwe, hence the support for bob. Mbeki simply fears bob. Only mandela could have openly advised and told him off. The mozmbiqan man is a quite man, so is that old foolish man from Angola. levy is anti bob. for sure the sadc is already divided.
Mukabe should not be allowed to attend this meeting, bcoz he is no longer presdo of Zim. In what capacity he is coming? If he is attending then let Tsvangirai attend as well, since he is incoming presdo.
THE OLD MUGABE IS JUST FOOLISH, HE JUST WANT TO CLING TO POWER TILL HE DIES IN STATE HOUSE.
HOW DO U START RECUNTING THE VOTES BEFORE ANNOUNCING THE RESULTS
AND ITS LIKE BOB DOESNT TO ANNOUNCE THE RESULTS AT ALL.
SHAME ON YOU OLD MUGABE.
Harare was build from Zambian copper, Zambia helped them gain Independence and now we want to give them another independence………..all these sacrifices which no body recalls or remembers. Infact this Zimbos looked down on us Zambians for too long when they got everything on a silver plate. They havnt got the balls to remoove this Cahoot is simply ridiculous!!! when will these people grow up and fight their own battles???
Isolate the big headed monkey
#1 Real Zambian….Who told u anything can be pumped into Mugabe’s head at this stage?
This meeting which should be hailed as a way forward, might just turn out to be a joke & Zambia as a laughing stock if the two protagonists don’t attend. Both MDC – Tsvangrai & Mugabe should attend, & let for once Levy stand up to be the statesman he claims to be & show true leadership as head of SADC – “call a spade a spade”, rather than cower in front of bob as we witnessed the last time the “titanic” comment was made. Ramifications of Zim going down the tube are great, not just for zambia, but whole of SADC, apart from the refugee problem, we could see unprecedented bloodshed. The stakes are high, it’s been reported on ITN news that Zambia has back-tracked on Mugabe attending.
LPM doesnot like Bob
Mbeki fears Bob
Pohamba is old school so he will support bob
Dos Santos does not care he is neutral
Mswati is a dictator so he will go along with Bob
Khama is anti Mugabe so no support for Bob
That TZ guy seems to be wise so he will advise bob to stand down
The Prezo from Mozambique is a wierdo so bob should be his mate
Lesotho has nothing to offer so anything goes
so besides LPM and Khama there is no opposition to Mugabe.What a regional circus
In a democracy, legitimate Power to govern a country is given to the constitutionally pronounced winner by the mandated electoral commission to which all parties to the race are signatories before participation. Where candidates subvert constitutionally mandated EC, declare themselves winners, and ask their opponents to confer them with such, its criminal and subversive usurpation of the constitutional powers.I admire SA for her forthrightnesses, strong democratic values and Diplomacy on issues.Leadership is all they are exhibiting.
We can’t tell Zim leader to quit: SA
PRETORIA. South Africa yesterday rejected any notion it would call on President Mugabe to quit after Zimbabwe’s opposition called on regional powers to do so.
“We are not a government who can ask other presidents to step down,” Deputy Foreign Minister Mr Aziz Pahad told journalists in Pretoria.
“Nobody will tell us when our president will step down and we will never ever allow a situation that we ask other presidents to step down. On what basis would we do that? Zimbabwe is not a province of South Africa.”
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has claimed victory in the March 29 presidential election, but the ruling Zanu-PF has said a run-off is needed.
As the official announcement seems to be interminably delayed amid legal wrangling and demands for a recount, Tsvangirai is touring the region urging Southern African leaders to exert greater pressure on Zimbabwe.
His MDC-T has called on Sadc leaders meeting in Zambia tomorrow to demand that President Mugabe — who has ruled Zimbabwe solidly since independence from Britain in 1980 — stand down.
Sadc chairman President Levy Mwanawasa of Zambia was quoted by Western media reports on Wednesday saying he had called for a regional meeting to discuss Zimbabwe’s elections.
The Minister of Information and Publicity, Cde Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, has said Zimbabwe is prepared to apprise Sadc of political developments on the ground if need be as it has excellent relations and co-operation with its neighbours.
South African President Thabo Mbeki has come under fire for his muted response to the elections in Zimbabwe, but Mr Pahad said there were unrealistic expectations of the country’s role.
“I think people are overestimating what South Africa can do. We are not a hegemonistic power in the region that we can on a whim to impose our will.”
Mr Pahad refused to confirm Mr Mbeki’s attendance at the Sadc summit, but said he would go “if his programme allows”.
Tsvangirai made South Africa his first port of call after claiming victory in the poll and met on Monday with ruling ANC party chief Mr Jacob Zuma while Mr Mbeki was away in Europe.
A week after the polls, Mr Mbeki urged “patience” and described the situation in Zimbabwe as “manageable”, angering the opposition.
President Mbeki has also said Zimbabwe is not a province of South Africa in resisting mounting Western pressure to condemn the just-ended elections.
Mr Mbeki’s office yesterday said he would be willing to meet Tsvangirai as soon as possible.
“As soon as we have a formal request we will meet with him at his earliest convenience, as the president would any other Zimbabwean leader,” Mr Mbeki’s spokesman has said.
Observer, it’s either you are really naive or you just want to sound like so, so you can support Mugabe. It has been said time and again, no tyrant is fit to rule over liberated people. Such a person should be removed by any means necessary. Ordinary Zimbabweans do not have the means to fend for themselves against Mugabe and his gun carrying cronies. Only had you lived under a tyrant like Amin would you appreciate the need for external help to remove such individuals. The leadership in SA has let down Zim people. Tanzania’s Nyerere reasoned better than Mbeke and you at the time Ugandans needed outside help.
I now wish Zambia’s KK had not expended any resource in the liberation for SA. After all the ANC where an illegal group, and going by Mbeki’s reasoning, should not have enjoyed any help from a law respecting person.
Latest: Mugabe is not coming to Zambia for the SADC ‘weekend away tour’ that ba levy has ‘called’. To me this summit will be snubed for obvious reasons, ba levy is not the right person to be advicing Mugabe on running free and fair elections. In fact ba levy just wanted to use this zim issue as an opportunity to win favours and support from the west, for peronal gain. He wants to ‘shine’ as a ‘democratic’ leader in SADC when his two elections have been very questionable. We will see who will attend this summit that mugabe regards as ‘useless’.
On Mugabe, I would say let the old man be! He can only do so much, trying to use ‘fake’ summits like this is just a waste of time and lack of forward thinking for our prez and the current chairman of SADC. This time ba levy will be holding ‘discussions’ with ministers from the SADC countries.
Anonymous u r so right! “Last free and fair elections” in Zed were in 1991!Anything thereafter has been a fraud!
#50 Anonymous, No matter his fallings LPM is not a tyrant. The situation in Zed can never be compared to that in Zed. Choosing to let Mugabe be is a warrant for more misery for ordinary citizens of Zim.
LPM is meddling in the affairs of Zimbabwe, as SADC chairman he is under immerse pressure from outside Africa to play with things he can’t handle. LPM lacks courtesy and thinks he can sell Zimabawe.
The election results of President George Bush and Al Gore took 21 days before the winner was known. In the meantime NOBODY was pressuring the USA to release results. Here in Africa the election that ushered in Joaquim Chissano as democratic President was a close election with RENAMO leader Alfonso Delakama trailing very marginnally. The electoral body in Mozambique held the results beyond the stipulated time.
Mugabe is scared like a liile rat that he will be proscuted. He better let go cause he is just brewing more problems for himself. What did he have in mind when he went to vote? Crazy Ol’ man has to wake up and learn for KK. The Joke is now on him, he is in ICU.
I would like to wait for the outcome of this meeting. Otherwise I wish them all wisdom and a lot of luck.
#53 The world was given an opportunity to know the numbers/figures from that infamous election that pitted George Bush and Albert Gore. Do you know the Presidential results of the election that pitted Mugabe and Morgan? That is the born of contention. Even in Chissano/Dlakama episode, we were able to follow because figures were being released.
#49/50 Ba Levy has every right to call a SADC Meeting by virtue of being the current Chairman of the grouping. Any meaningful President holding the Chairmanship of any regional grouping would be found wanting if he did not urgently act like our President did by calling an extraordinary Summit in the face of instability in a member country and a
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neighbour for that matter. Levy is not seeking for any political gain on this, but is responding to the current situation in Zimbabwe as stipulated in SADC AGREEMENT which was entered into upon its foundation years back. He is only obliged to do so by that Agreement. READ THIS DOCUMENT, YOU WILL LEARN MORE.
Till when are the African leaders are going to be quite about the crisis in Zimbawe? The situation is geting worse every day, people are being killed and displaced and our own African leaders are still claiming that there is no crisis in zimbabwe.