Zimbabwe/Botswana – interview

Botswanan Foreign Minister calls for Zimbabwe petrol embargo

Article published on the 2008-12-06 Latest update 2008-12-07 09:52 TU

Botswanan Foreign Minister Phandu Skeleman
(File photo: UN/Marco Castro)

Botswana, which has often spoken out against its neighbour, Zimbabwe, on Saturday said the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) is helping to prop up President Robert Mugabe. Botswana joins a chorus of other countries, including Britain and the US, urging an end to Zimbabwe's political deadlock. Botswana’s Foreign Minister, Phandu Skelemani, spoke to RFI about what strong international pressure could do.

“There is one thing the world has, which the world can agree: starve Mugabe of that which he needs, which seems to be sustaining him, which is really petrol,” said Skelemani. “Cut him off. It will be painful for most Zimbabweans, but we think it would be short lived.”

The situation for people in Zimbabwe has gotten steadily worse since elections in March, which have resulted in a failed power-sharing agreement with the opposition.

Skelemani said that Sadc has been unable to put enough pressure on Mugabe.

“They have not been able to pressurise Mugabe to agree with his compatriots on the formation of a government of national unity,” he said. “So the first step we thought is the Sadc states be pressurized into pressurizing Mugabe. If that were possible, then we could have a resolution. If Sadc fails, then the international community must come in, and must really force a runoff.”

“We think the nonsense has gone on long enough,” he continued. “The route they [other Sadc countries] thought would lead to a resolution of the Zimbabwe problem is not taking us there. And I’m sure if they are reminded and pressure is put on them, they’ll come around to what we think is a reasonable way out.”

Inflation continues to rise in Zimbabwe. The government announced Saturday that it would start printing a 200 million dollar note, which is worth about 11 euros. And the government declared a national emergency this week as a cholera outbreak has killed nearly 600 people. It has spread out of Zimbabwe, killing people in Botswana and South Africa.