Botswana's Bravado

All hail Botswana as the first African country to refuse to recognize the sham government of Robert Mugabe. According to reports in the Botswanan media, the government of Botswana felt that the events leading up to the last election were undemocratic so therefore the results could not be considered valid. On the other hand, government spokespeople have made it clear that they will consider reevaluating their opinions in the light on current discussions between Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic change.

If only more African leaders had taken off their 'solidarity' blinders and been willing to look truth in the face, the situation in Zimbabwe may have come to a head much sooner, and many more innocent people would still have their lives and livelihoods.

This blog takes a dim view of South African President Mbeki's role in all of this, even given the fact that the role of mediator was foisted upon him by his weak-sister compatriots in the Southern Africa Development Community. The real deciding factor in the current negotiations is whether the deal that western backs of Tsvangirai offer to Mugabe will be enough to satisfy his ZANU-PF henchmen. Part of that deal will likely be immunity from prosecution and a large pile of cash.

If that's what it takes to put Mugabe into mothballs then everyone should jump on it, though one suspects that Mugabe is not quite finished with Zimbabwe. Not by a long-shot.