News / National
Thabo Mbeki blasts Mugabe's 'chaotic' land reform
28 Aug 2013 at 14:56hrs | Views
Former South Africa President Thabo Mbeki has taken a swipe at President Robert Mugabe's chaotic land reform programme, saying the Zanu-PF leader had "set a bad example which we don't want any country in Africa to follow", a NewsDay report.
Mbeki said this during a Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute presentation at the University of South Africa in Pretoria last Friday, a day after attending Mugabe's inauguration in Harare.
"The way the land reform was done offended other players in the world. I told them [Mugabe and Zanu-PF], they could not listen; they did what they wanted with their own country. They set a bad example which we don't want any country in Africa to follow. So they must pay a price. I think this is the reason why, apart from diamonds, there is too much attention on Zimbabwe." he said.
Integrity of Africa
The former South African leader also blasted the West for refusing to endorse the Zimbabwean polls when Africa had done so, claiming such actions were tantamount to undermining the integrity of Africa.
Mugabe won last month's elections by 61% votes, but his rival Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai immediately challenged the poll outcome citing several irregularities.
Tsvangirai later filed a Constitutional Court application challenging Mugabe's victory, but withdrew the petition arguing that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission had denied him access to the poll material which he wanted to support his case.
"Yes, indeed there were problems, but we did not need Washington, Brussels and London to say Africans were wrong in endorsing the elections. I know why the special interest in Zimbabwe, a small country by any standards. Zimbabwe has been on the frontline in calling for Africa to determine its future. It's high time Zimbabwe should be supported in order to put an end to that African contempt."
Mbeki helped broker a power sharing agreement between the MDC and Zanu-PF following a disputed election in 2008 which left at least 200 people.
Mbeki said this during a Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute presentation at the University of South Africa in Pretoria last Friday, a day after attending Mugabe's inauguration in Harare.
"The way the land reform was done offended other players in the world. I told them [Mugabe and Zanu-PF], they could not listen; they did what they wanted with their own country. They set a bad example which we don't want any country in Africa to follow. So they must pay a price. I think this is the reason why, apart from diamonds, there is too much attention on Zimbabwe." he said.
Integrity of Africa
The former South African leader also blasted the West for refusing to endorse the Zimbabwean polls when Africa had done so, claiming such actions were tantamount to undermining the integrity of Africa.
Mugabe won last month's elections by 61% votes, but his rival Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai immediately challenged the poll outcome citing several irregularities.
Tsvangirai later filed a Constitutional Court application challenging Mugabe's victory, but withdrew the petition arguing that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission had denied him access to the poll material which he wanted to support his case.
"Yes, indeed there were problems, but we did not need Washington, Brussels and London to say Africans were wrong in endorsing the elections. I know why the special interest in Zimbabwe, a small country by any standards. Zimbabwe has been on the frontline in calling for Africa to determine its future. It's high time Zimbabwe should be supported in order to put an end to that African contempt."
Mbeki helped broker a power sharing agreement between the MDC and Zanu-PF following a disputed election in 2008 which left at least 200 people.
Source - newsday
