WINDHOEKTOIVO NDJEBELA
Swapo yesterday sharply contradicted the views of neighbours Botswana over the victory of Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe in last week's election, amid calls for Southern Africa to isolate the veteran leader until a fresh audit is conducted.
Botswana vowed on Monday to lobby Southern African leaders for an audit of Zimbabwe's elections, calling into question the fairness of Mugabe's victory.
But contrary to such views, Swapo's secretary-general Nangolo Mbumba - addressing the media after a politburo meeting held on Monday - said Southern African leaders should respect the will of the people of Zimbabwe, who gave the ruling party Zanu-PF an overwhelming majority in last week's general elections.
Mugabe's main rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, plans to challenge in court what he termed as a fraudulent election.
Botswana's foreign affairs minister, Phandu Skelemani, said his country was concerned that the election had not measured up to Southern African Development Community (SADC) guidelines.
He said although the election day itself had been "free of overt intimidation and violence", there was evidence that the electoral process was undermined by a number of irregularities.
But Swapo was in no mood to let such calls dampen its celebration of the victory of its allies in Zimbabwe, instead urging all and sundry to keep their noses out of Zimbabwe's domestic affairs.
Zanu-PF, which over the years has crafted a bond of friendship with Swapo leaders, has won an election endorsed by SADC and African Union (AU) observers as free and fair.
Western observers, although hailing the peaceful manner in which the elections were held, have backed claims that vote-rigging propelled Zanu-PF to the emphatic victory.
Addressing the media in Windhoek yesterday, Swapo secretary-general, Nangolo Mbumba, said those refusing to accept the outcome of that election have no regard for the wishes and aspirations of the people of Zimbabwe, who gave Zanu-PF an overwhelming majority.
“Zimbabwe is not a trustee of SADC or any country out there. They are a sovereign State with its own constitution,” Mbumba told reporters yesterday.
He said Zimbabwe has an obligation to follow its own constitution, before considering the views of foreign institutions and countries, as opposed to trampling on its own laws to please outsiders.
“Only the people of Zimbabwe must decide on whom to lead them and we must respect their choice. We are happy for Zanu's victory and thank the people of Zimbabwe for maintaining an atmosphere of peace and harmony during the elections.”
Swapo president Hifikepunye Pohamba, who is also the Namibian Head of State, already congratulated Mugabe and his party for their victory, and urged the West to lift the illegal sanctions it has imposed on Zimbabwe for over a decade.