African nations urged to act on Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe’s neighbours are under increasing pressure to do something about its chaos – in part because it is already spilling over in the form of migrants fleeing economic collapse and political clampdown.

The South African Cabinet was expected to discuss Zimbabwe at a regular meeting today after sustained criticism that the quiet diplomacy advocated by President Thabo Mbeki was not working.

South Africa, with the strongest economy in the region and the highest international profile, has been pressed to take the lead on Zimbabwe.

Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa said the Southern African Development Community would adopt a common position. Zambia has so far been the only country in the region to openly criticise President Robert Mugabe’s clampdown on his opponents. The Zambian foreign minister said last week that the situation in Zimbabwe was too serious for his government to keep quiet.

The president of Tanzania, one of three Southern African nations appointed by the Southern African Development Community to try to address the political crisis in Zimbabwe, met with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe last week.

No details of the outcome have been made public. The community comprises Angola, Botswana, Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Zambia, like other surrounding countries, has seen an influx of Zimbabweans fleeing political repression, chronic shortages of basic supplies, high unemployment and inflation of more than 1,600 per cent.

More than three million of Zimbabwe’s 15 million people live abroad, most economic refugees in South Africa and Britain.

Mwanawasa was heading to Namibia – whose president was reportedly lukewarm toward Mugabe when he visited there recently.

In Botswana, which also has a border with Zimbabwe, two politicians said they would ask President Festus Mogae to recall his ambassador from Harare to protest the human rights abuses and the brutal beatings of opposition leaders.

Malawi’s government said it was too early to take a stand on the crisis. But a coalition of several human rights groups there urged President Bingu wa Mutharika to use his close ties with Mugabe to try to find a lasting political solution that would help spur economic recovery. Zimbabwe used to be the main trading partner of Malawi.

Zimbabwe was discussed at a meeting between Nordic and African foreign ministers in Oslo. “There was an unease about the situation,” said Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere.

“The economic political and humanitarian situation is disturbing for Zimbabwe and for the countries in the region.”