Zimbabwe - interview

Rescue cholera victims, not Mugabe, says activist

Article published on the 2008-12-04 Latest update 2008-12-04 18:00 TU

A boy rests in a cholera ward at Budiriro Polyclinic in Harare
(Credit: Reuters)

As foreign countries helping the thousands of victims of Zimbabwe's cholera epidemic, Zimbabwean rights activist John Stewart is calling for the people to be rescued .. without rescuing President Robert Mugabe rule over the crisis-hit country. On a visit to Paris, he spoke to RFI about how the epidemic could change the way the world views Zimbabwe.

"Conditions for aid need to be set," says Stewart, who has been invited to Paris to meet French non-governmental organisations. "The difference is that the conditions of political change are very large-scale issues ... so it's hard to see an immediate change on the international community's positions."

Stewart believes it would be hard to impose conditions, especially in terms of trying to iron out the current political crisis, but he says that  that the cholera outbreak, which is spreading to neighbouring countries, could be a catalyst for change.

South Africa is now affected by cholera; the virus has been found even in the Limpopo River, and its own residents have also been affected.

"In fact...[it] is the beginning of a new political understanding of Zimbabwe, different in fact from [former South African president] Thabo Mbeki's understanding, which was that Mugabe would negotiate in good faith, that he had some legitimacy," says Stewart. "What seems to be the beginning of a political consensus coming from Botswana, Tanzania, Kenya is that Mugabe and his government is not legitimate, is not competent."

And on Thursday, South Africa called an urgent meeting to discuss the crisis in Zimbabwe, motivated by reports that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) could not just stand by and do nothing.

"We are going to see many more people dying of cholera this year than people dying of political violence," says Stewart.

But he also spoke about the apprent abduction of top human rights activist Jestina Mukoko.

"We think it's quite likely that these are the people who kill opponents of the government," he says.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown called Zimbabwe "a failed state" on Thursday, but pledged to boost aid to tackle the cholera emergency. He did not specify the amount.