Zim exiles boo Tsvangirai
2009-06-20 21:04
Special Report
Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has said "I let the old man be the president... just for the sake of the country."
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe says he doesn't expect the US sanctions on his country to be lifted soon.
London - Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai was booed and shouted down by Zimbabwean exiles during a speech in London on Saturday when he called for them to return home to help rebuild the shattered country.
Tsvangirai told an estimated crowd of 1 000 people in Southwark Cathedral that he had one message, that "Zimbabweans must come home".
His appeal was greeted by boos and chants of "Mugabe must go", referring to 85-year-old President Robert Mugabe.
When Tsvangirai could not make himself heard above the crowd, he left the pulpit for two minutes before returning to face questions.
He added: "I did not say 'pack your bags tomorrow', I said 'you should now start thinking about coming home'."
Helping ‘traumatised’ Zimbabweans
Some exiles asked Tsvangirai what the four-month-old power-sharing government of Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change and Mugabe's Zanu-PF was doing to help Zimbabweans who had been "traumatised" by violence.
He said: "If there is anyone who has been traumatised, it is me."
After answering several more questions briefly, he was ushered away by security guards amid a hail of fresh boos.
London is the latest stop on a tour which has taken him to Washington, Berlin, Stockholm and Brussels as he drums up support for the 'new' Zimbabwe - albeit one that still has Mugabe as president.
- AFP