Mphoko convinced Russia to veto any UN sanctions on Zimbabwe

VICE-President and former Zimbabwe ambassador to Russia, Phelekezela Mphoko, has revealed that had it not been for his negotiation skills, Zimbabwe would have been labelled a regional and international threat and slapped with United Nations Security Council sanctions.

Mphoko's Curriculum Vitae notes that he convinced Russia to veto any UN action against Zimbabwe following the 2007 violent presidential run-off election.

At the time when Mphoko was Zimbabwe's ambassador to Russia, President Robert Mugabe won the second round of balloting after MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai pulled out citing unprecedented violence, abductions and intimidation of his supporters.

Violent campaigns leading to the run-off poll left more than 100 MDC-T supporters dead, hundreds injured and others displaced, leading world powers to call for United Nations Security Council action.

Russia and China, however, vetoed proposals to apply punitive international measures against Mugabe and the government at a UNSC meeting in 2008.

The two countries were joined by  colleagues from South Africa, Libya and Vietnam in opposing UN-targeted sanctions against Zimbabwe.