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Botswana appeals for help with Zimbabwean refugees

Article published on the 2008-07-28 Latest update 2008-07-29 11:23 TU

Botswana has appealed for international help to cope with Zimbabweans that are coming across the border. The plea came as the South African government said ongoing mediation between Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party is "proceeding well. Meanwhile, fresh sanctions have been imposed on Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe and his allies.

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Botswana's Foreign Minister Phandu Sekelemani has said that there are some quarter of a million Zimbabweans in the country and that since the presidential vote of 27 June another 215 Zimbabweans had crossed the border.

The xenophobic violence in South Africa has pushed Zimbabweans to turn more and more to Botswana for refuge, said correspondent Wene Owino in Gaborone.

"The Botswana government does not encourage the refugees to cross over. What the Botswana government is doing is that once they cross over, they get a welcoming hand," Owino said.

Correspondent: Wene Owino in Gaborone

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29/07/2008 by Marco Chown Oved

Botswana has called on other African nations not to recognise the re-election of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and has asked for Zimbabwe to be suspended from the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC).

Sanctions

Meanwhile South Africa's government has criticised fresh sanctions that the US has imposed on Mugabe and his allies, with Deputy Foreign Minister, Aziz Pahud, saying it was "difficult to understand the objectives of new sanctions."

President George Bush announced the sanctions on Friday, which will affect dozens of individuals and seventeen companies linked to Mugabe. 

South African President Thabo Mbeki has not commented on the sanctions, but said talks between Mugabe's ZANU-PF and the opposition MDC of Morgan Tsvangirai were continuing. The President's spokesman said they should conclude in two weeks.