Neighbours rally round in support of Mugabe

Telegraph (UK) ^ | December 10, 2003 | Christopher Munnion in Johannesburg, Peta Thornycroft in Harare and George Jones

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Britain's attitude towards President Robert Mugabe's regime was denounced as "intolerant" and "rigid" by southern African countries yesterday, reigniting the row over Zimbabwe's withdrawal from the Commonwealth.

The 12 Commonwealth members from southern Africa closed ranks behind Mr Mugabe with a statement condemning Zimbabwe's suspension from the group.

Earlier, Tony Blair angrily denied that Mr Mugabe's regime was the victim of a racist plot. Ending Zimbabwe's suspension would have been "inconceivable", he said.

Mr Mugabe had appealed for the "solidarity" of his neighbours and the Southern African Development Community duly rallied to his support. It blamed Zimbabwe's withdrawal from the Commonwealth on the "dismissive, intolerant and rigid attitude" of Britain and other member states.

"The present situation in Zimbabwe calls for engagement by the Commonwealth and not isolation and further punishment," it said.

Botswana is among the countries which endorsed the statement, yet it backed Zimbabwe's continued suspension from the Commonwealth during the summit in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.

President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa is believed to be the prime mover behind the criticism of Britain. His persistence with his policy of "quiet diplomacy" towards Mr Mugabe's regime has baffled and enraged his critics.

Zimbabwe's economy is in ruins, with inflation above 500 per cent and unemployment at 70 per cent. Hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans have fled to South Africa and Botswana.

Reporting to the Commons on the Commonwealth summit the Prime Minister strongly defended Zimbabwe's suspension. He said it had made no effort to address international concerns and was going "backwards."

He said Mr Mugabe's "ruinous economic policies" were "driving the country further and further into chaos."

Mr Mugabe's regime raised the possibility of breaking all diplomatic ties with Britain. The Herald, the government daily, said: "There is no need for us to continue pretending that there is a semblance of diplomacy with Britain or its Australian appendage."

But the regime can ill afford to cut links. Britain has given the country more than £62 million in humanitarian aid since September 2001.

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[Cincinatus' Wife]

There is no helping this. The bottom has to fall out before help will be let in. And when that happens, it would be a good idea to make demands on who will rebuild Africa.

[Clive]

I makes a farce out of the undertakings in NEPAD that Africa will self-police good governance and human rights among its member states.

But watch the donor countries tie themselves in knots to pretend that NEPAD is actually working but just needs more time and more money to mature into a resounding success.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

All the good little Marxists groups will rally and demand international aid. Let all the fawning Marxists groups prop up these dictators. Enough is enough.