HEADLINES:
R/€ Zambian call to get Mandela to tackle Mugabe
August 20, 2007 Edition 2
There may be only one way to influence President Robert Mugabe - enlist the help of liberation giants such as Nelson Mandela, Zambian Finance Minister Ng'andu Magande believes.
"Perhaps with a bit of pressure from President Mugabe's good friends, like Kenneth Kaunda (Zambia's founding father) or old people like Mandela perhaps, you can see that things can be done differently without anybody losing out," he said.
Magande's comments were tacit recognition that Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders failed, during their meeting last week, to pressure Zimbabwe's veteran leader to introduce political and economic reforms.
Critics say inaction has tainted regional leaders, raising questions about their commitment to democracy and easing the suffering of millions struggling to survive the worst economic crisis outside a war zone.
"SADC has a credibility problem because of its failure to adhere to democratic rules," said Chileshe Mulenga, head of the Institute for Economic and Social Research, a Lusaka think-tank.
The group, experts say, is also awed into silence by Mugabe's place in history. Southern African leaders look up to him as a respected liberation hero.
His past is one reason Mugabe received the loudest applause when he stood up at the SADC summit.
"Mugabe is far more experienced than this younger generation of leaders and he knows exactly what he is doing," Zambian Information Minister Mike Mlongoti said.
"What can they do? They can't pressure Zimbabwe because it is a sovereign state. Sanctions have not achieved anything and only hurt Zimbabweans," Mlongoti added.
As the new chair of the SADC, Zambia will be under increased international pressure to square up to Mugabe. - Reuters
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