'We want a strong message'

2005-07-04 14:31

Johannesburg - Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Monday urged Group of Eight (G8) leaders meeting this week to issue a "strong message" condemning President Robert Mugabe over the demolitions campaign that has left hundreds of thousands homeless.

Tsvangirai, who met President Thabo Mbeki on Sunday, also said African leaders risked losing credibility if they "continue to protect Mugabe" by refusing to criticise him.

"We want to see a strong message that this regime has gone beyond what is acceptable behaviour of any government and it must be called to order," said Tsvangirai at a news conference in Johannesburg.

G8 leaders from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States joined by several African leaders including President Thabo Mbeki are meeting in Gleneagles, Scotland from Wednesday for talks that will focus on aid for Africa.

SA withholds comment

In the run up to the summit, G8 governments have harshly criticised a government-driven demolitions blitz in Zimbabwe that has left some 200 000 homeless, according to United Nations (UN) estimates.

But the African Union (AU) has refrained from such statements, with South Africa notably saying it will await the outcome of a mission by UN envoy Anna Tibujaika to Zimbabwe to assess the scale of the humanitarian crisis.

"The African leadership themselves should be at the forefront to condemn what is taking place in Zimbabwe if their credibility is to be enhanced at the G8 and all other fora," said the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

Zimbabwe police have for the past six weeks used bulldozers and sledgehammers to demolish shacks and other unauthorized housing, and destroying shop stalls and market areas in what Mugabe maintains is necessary to rid the country of crime and squalor.

- AFP