TANZANIA said here today that it was totally against campaigns at isolating Zimbabwe and vilifying its President Robert Mugabe, saying such moves have so far hurt millions of people in the central African nation.
Our position just like all others in SADC (South African Development Community) is to allow Zimbabwe solve its political crisis through peaceful means, Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister, Bernard Membe, told journalists here today.
He said SADC has given South African President Thabo Mbeki mandate to mediate the political impasse between the ruling ZANU-PF and Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by Morgan Tsvangirai.
We are strongly appealing to the international community to give space to Zimbabwe to solve their problems amicably and determine the destiny of their motherland. Sanctions and isolating Zimbabwe have already led to untold misery among the people.
Sanctions have already led to the scarcity of fuel, educational material, fertiliser, spare parts of various machinery including those used in water supply and health facilities installation, he explained. Earlier, President Mugabe made a spirited defence of his government's human rights record amid what he described as shameful and malicious trumped up charges against it.
Mr Mugabe told over 70 European and African leaders at the summit that his government was duty bound to protect the dignity of Zimbabweans after achieving independence some 27 years ago.
He said thousands of Zimbabweans died in the struggle to regain their land and his government was aware that there were some forces who were dreaming to make the country their colony again.
In characteristic salute with a clenched fist, Mr Mugabe declared: We are Zimbabweans. And Zimbabwe will never again be a colony. Mr Mugabe did not mince words by hitting back on the German Chancellor Angela Merkel who on Saturday urged African and European leaders to challenge Mugabe on his country's human rights abuse.
The world cannot stand by while human rights are being trampled underfoot. We must take responsibility because Zimbabwe concerns us all, she said. President Mugabe said he was not taking the German Chancellor's words serious because he believed they were not coming from her heart.
She and a few others in Europe are mere megaphones. They are just presenting a message and vision of someone in Number 10 Downing Street in London (meaning British Prime Minister Gordon Brown), who is serving in the government of our colonial master, he said. Never again will Zimbabwe be a colony, he concluded his brief but strong speech.