‘Africa Must Intervene In Zimbabwe’

By Stephen K. Effah
Wednesday, 23 April 2008

THE Zimbabwean opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, who was in Accra yesterday, at the end of a West African tour, has called on all African leaders to intervene in the electoral crisis that has hit his country following last month’s disputed election.

African leaders, he said must acknowledge that he won the presidential election and therefore, convince the incumbent, President Robert Mugabe, leader of the Zanu-PF party, to accept defeat and "make a graceful exit".

"We hoped that he (Mugabe) would accept defeat and honourable exit, for a peaceful transition," Mr.Tsvangirai told reporters at a news conference in Accra yesterday after meeting with UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, and heads of state at the ongoing UNCTAD.

The news conference was organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs on whose ticket Mr Tsvangirai was in Ghana.

"We know what he (Mugabe) has contributed… as a liberation hero on our continent but he must respect it when the people of Zimbabwe speak," the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), said.

"There is no basis for a run-off in the presidential election," he said, adding, "I will not participate in a stage-managed run-off simply because Robert Mugabe does not want to accept that we won this election decisively."

Mr Tsvangirai, whose party won majority seats in parliament, said Mr. Mugabe is using the delay in the release of the presidential results to "engineer a run-off" in spite of the polling stations results that he won decisively.

He said that the continent may suffer serious disrepute if it allows Mr. Mugabe to undermine the result of a democratic election by refusing to transfer power, knowing that he has lost the popular support of the people.

"If Mugabe’s regime wants to rule as an illegitimate government, it is their choice. All we can say is that we will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the whole world confirms that he is illegitimate," he said.

He accused Mr. Mugabe of a carefully planned and orchestrated military plan, which he said, "has changed the electoral environment and created an environment of fear with people being killed and intimidated as I speak."

"Zimbabwe is burning," he said, noting that Mr Mugabe and his "band of criminals have unleashed violence on the people as punishment for choosing to vote for a change in the country."
So far, he said, 10 people have been killed, 500 injured and hospitalised, while thousands have fled their homes.

On allegations he is being backed by European countries like the U.K and Australia to get Mr Mugabe out of power, he said, "I’m under the mandate of the people of Zimbabwe, and not under any brief of anybody."

Mr Tsvangirai, who described himself as a "son of Africa" said, the MDC is disturbed by the role being played by the South African President, Thabo Mbeki, in undermining the Zimbabwean people’s victory in the election.

"We are disturbed by his conduct as a mediator, particularly by his comments regarding the crisis in our country as well as his disinformation campaign during the recent SADC meeting in Mauritius as well as during the just ended UN Security Council meeting in New York," he said.

He said although he does not object to his involvement in the mediation, he advised that he is not given a key role in the mediation.

He called on Mr Mbeki to be bold and utilise the opportunity "to side with the people of Zimbabwe and not with any political party."