News roundup

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
Tel/Fax: 02380 879675
General: 07714736382
P O Box 248, Hythe, SO45 4WX, United Kingdom

Smith, Mugabe, never good neighbours – Masire

BY JERRY BUNGU

GABORONE - Former president of Botswana, Sir Ketumile Masire says Zimbabwe has never displayed any signs of good neighbourliness.
Masire’s memoirs “Very Brave or Very Foolish: Memoirs of an African Diplomat,” were published to coincide with Botswana’s recent 40th independence anniversary.
In a chapter on relations with neighbours, Masire devoted four pages to Zimbabwe, revealing that there were over 20 000 Zimbabweans in Botswana during the Chimurenga war.
“I first encountered President Mugabe when he was a freedom fighter and I thought he was a hard working man. He was imprisoned for a long time and after he was released, ZANU gained ground. We in the Front Line States tried to get ZANU and ZAPU to join together to form one liberation movement to oppose the Smith regime, but this proved very difficult. In part it was who would hold leadership positions as chairman and secretary-general. President Mugabe gave the impression that he was not keen to be chairman or secretary-general of the combined movements. Mr Nkomo was indecisive and saw virtue in both positions. Interestingly at the time, Mr Nkomo was clearly the king of his group, but it was not as clear to us that Mugabe was the king of his,” the memoir says.
Masire says the Lancaster Talks, which resulted in a negotiated settlement, did not go well with Mugabe who thought he could have been victorious over both the Smith regime and ZAPU.
Masire says of Mugabe: “While he never said anything directly, his attitude was that we in Botswana were Nkomo’s men. On the same principles as the South African government used, i.e. the friend of my enemy is my enemy, and he who is not for us is against us, he appeared to distrust us.”
He says there were questions over trade and transportation but security was the important issue. “Defence minister Nkala was particularly difficult and he was reported to have wanted to shoot up Dukwe refugee camp where many ZAPU refugees were living but Mugabe prevented that.
“In 1980, we had hoped that an independent Zimbabwe would help us reduce our dependence on South Africa and decrease vulnerability, but that was not to be the case. To start with, Zimbabwe imposed duties on imports from Botswana in clear violation of our free trade agreement.
He concludes: “Interestingly, with the difficult situation in Zimbabwe – partly the takeover of white farms, but mainly the persecution of many Africans and destruction of the capacity of the economy to function – we have not had a spill over in racial attitudes in Botswana. Batswana have truly been saddened by the political and economic destruction of Zimbabwe.”