author/source:Mmegi (Botswana)
published:Thu 21-Aug-2008
Monkagedi Gaotlhobogwe

Foreign Affairs Minister, Phandu Skelemani, yesterday denied apologising to Robert Mugabe at the recently held SADC Summit in Pretoria, South Africa. He was responding to a Zimbabwean government controlled newspaper, the Herald, which on Monday reported that Skelemani praised Robert Mugabe's behaviour in the ongoing negotiations facilitated by South Africa President, Thabo Mbeki. The paper also attributes quotations to the Botswana foreign minister criticising MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, for being unreasonable during the negotiations. Skelemani yesterday labelled the Herald's report as "maaka a matala - blatant lies". "It is not our business to praise Mugabe, or anybody. We said the parties are close to reaching an agreement, and so no one should force them to sign as it is not us the SADC membership who is negotiating. It is the Zimbabweans who are negotiating. Who am I to declare that the negotiations have gone well and dictate to people to sign?

IT WAS all so painfully predictable. Leaders of SADC gathered in Pretoria last Monday to break the stalemate in attempts to form an inclusive government in Zimbabwe.

A communique was issued triumphantly proclaiming a breakthrough. An inclusive government would be up and running by February 13, 2009. Moments later the MDC issued a statement denying being party to such an agreement. It said outstanding issues brought before the summit had not been addressed to its satisfaction. It would refer the matter to a meeting of its National Executive Council on Friday 29 January.