Stop the bully-boy tactics | Editors Column

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Stop the bully-boy tactics

Written by The Editor

Monday, 08 February 2010 16:04

Zimbabwe has to take full responsibility for the disastrous escalation of hostilities with Botswana.
It is well known that our common border with Botswana is not clearly defined. There is no fence, no river, no mountain range between our two countries and it is quite easy to stray from one side to the other. It is also common knowledge that the Batswana game rangers were tracking lions, which had killed cattle in their country and inadvertently crossed the border into Zimbabwe. This sort of thing happens from time to time. This is not the first time. Zimbabwean soldiers and game rangers have, in the past, strayed into Botswana and the matter has always been amicably resolved.
Botswana has, for many years, played host to hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans. First in the 1970s, when it established refugee camps at Dukwe, where many Zimbabwean refugees were given shelter during the savage Rhodesian bush war. Again in the 1980s when thousands fled the Gukurahundi massacres.
Today, anywhere you go in Botswana you will encounter Zimbabweans – as economic or political refugees.
We suspect that this whole sorry saga has nothing whatsoever to do with cross-border transgressions, but is being used as a form of punishment for President Ian Khama’s sustained and principled criticism of Robert Mugabe and Zanu (PF)’s mis-governance, election rigging and human rights abuses.
The national parks rangers are mere pawns in Mugabe’s regional power-play. Khama is the only SADC president who has stood up to his bully-boy tactics in the past.
This sable rattling on Mugabe’s part is totally unnecessary and stupid. Zimbabwe should release the rangers immediately and send them home to their families.
Zimbabwe needs to mend fences with our neighbours and the international community – not create enemies needlessly.

Comments (1)

|2010-02-10 09:22:58 bobymafi - War Lords

We have war lords everywhere in government courtesy of Mgabe's resolve to stay in power at any cost.We even have war lords in Church,, check the Manhangas, the Kunongas and the Msindos. What do you think is sustaining Bob, and where are the proceeds from Chiyadzwa going?Talk about raping the nation, it cannot be any worse!

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