South Africa tells Robert Mugabe to surrender

by Amy Judd | July 26, 2008 at 08:00 pm
2934 views | 50 Recommendations | 16 comments

Photos

Robert Mugabe has been warned by Thabo Mbeki that he will face prosecution for the crimes he has committed during his 28 years in power in Zimbabwe, unless he signs a deal to give up all effective power.

Mbeki, who has done all he can to shield and support Mugabe for the past eight years, has come under overwhelming western pressure and has had to tell Mugabe that he could no longer protect him and his key cronies from being charged by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The power-sharing talks between Mugabe’s Zanu-PF and Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) are shrouded in secrecy. But The Sunday Times has learnt that Mugabe, who has vowed that Tsvangirai will never be in government and that “only God can remove me from power”, faces humiliation over the terms of the deal that he will be forced to sign next month.

He will remain as president in name only and all real power will be held by a 20-member cabinet under Tsvangirai as prime minister. The opposition MDC will have 11 cabinet posts to nine for Mugabe’s Zanu-PF.

All Mugabe’s senior officials in the army, police and intelligence services, who have unleashed a campaign of terror since the MDC won a disputed victory in the elections held in March, will be dismissed.


This is quite a turn of events, from someone who seemed to support Mugabe for many years.
Mugabe is scared to go on trial for human rights crimes, as he will most likely be found guilty of all, and there is no coming back from that.

Advertisement
recommend Sign In or Join to post comments
0
Jim Jones

Wow, sounds to me as if he should surrender!

www.FireMe.to/udi


Uwe Paschen
Uwe Paschen
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 20:57 on July 26th, 2008

amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Wow, South Africa does finally assume its role as a leading force in Africa! Good News!

JN Designz
JN Designz
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 21:35 on July 26th, 2008

amyjudd,

This is a good one. Keep it up...

0
tiha zaman

Very highly unlikely I think. Because where was Mbeki for the past 8 months before? And he only reacted after preassure from UN big 5 especially China and Russia. But if it was up to US alone, they love to sanction everything even if it meant risking the lives of 12.8 million Zimbabwean.

But i like the story though and the idea that perhaps Mugabe would stand down. fingers crossed.

0
Uwe Paschen

I think pressures from out side and from with in pushed him to do something!

Mugabe is still a Hero for many African, even though he has gone mad now for some time, it is very difficult to dethrone a Hero! Yet we just celebrated Mandela his 90th birthday and this actually helped in a way to put the pressure on Mugabe!

Caoimhin1
Caoimhin1
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 00:06 on July 27th, 2008

amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Albert Milliron
Albert Milliron
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 00:07 on July 27th, 2008

amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Rhonda J Mangus
Rhonda J Mangus
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 00:36 on July 27th, 2008

amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff.

0
flight737

I think Mbeki is right but lets not forget that as Paschen said Mugabe is still a hero to many Africans. Mugabe will always be Mugabe no matter what Mbeki says, I think unless he dies on power there is nothing that can stop him from going out of power not the UN, not Britain or America and no amount of sactions is going to stop him! I hope someone tells him that it is his people who are suffering not the West!

flight737
flight737
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 01:44 on July 27th, 2008

amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff.

azzayindia
azzayindia
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 01:57 on July 27th, 2008

amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Maireid Sullivan
Maireid Sullivan
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 02:07 on July 27th, 2008

amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff.

This is utterly amazing, Amy!

i remember back in the late 70s, when I was working as a political researcher in Dublin, everyone thought Mugabe would be the new savior of all Africa. But, it was his wife who was the great leader!!! When she died, Mugabe lost his way. He married a woman whose only interest is shopping. His new wife reminds me of Imelda Marcus ( wife of  Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcus), whose shoe collection is currently on exhibition in Manilla.

mchawk
mchawk
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 02:45 on July 27th, 2008

amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff.


Only God can remove him from power?  Come on then, big fella - what are you waiting for?

luckky2020
luckky2020
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 03:04 on July 27th, 2008

amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Its seems to me that the end of Zimbabwe's crisis is near..

BigT
BigT
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 14:32 on July 27th, 2008

amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff.

But I'm hardly convinced this will lead to anything good. Zimbabwe is ran on corruption so, even if God did strike down Mugabe, I don't think much will change. Rarely is there a leader who, when given power over a country, can use that power judiciously and then give it up when his turn is over.

0
Lee Lecu

At least Mbeki is doing something right, instead of ignoring the Aids epidemic- good story amy.

What is NowPublic?

NowPublic lets people work together to cover news events around the world.

Find out more

Crowd Power

Uwe Paschen
First Flagged at 8:57 PM, Jul 26, 2008 by Uwe Paschen
These members have powered this story:

Most Recommended Stories in World

 

closeSign in to NowPublic

is reporting from