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Mugabe defends his govt
29/03/2003 16:23 - (SA)
Harare - Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe defended himself on Saturday against international outrage over his violent crackdown on the opposition in his country.
"It is now time for law and order to have the upper hand, and we will not seek the approval of outsiders to enforce law and order in our country," he was quoted as saying in the state-controlled daily Herald.
Mugabe's remarks to a meeting of his central committee on Friday came amid massive condemnation over what human rights organisations described as "the worst campaign of violence yet seen - short of mass killings - against civilians by the country's security forces".
"After all, some of the foreigners have been aiding and abetting the creation of instability and disorder here, and are thus part of the lawlessness we have witnessed," he reportedly said.
Mugabe's remarks were also seen as a rebuff to President Thabo Mbeki, who earlier this week said Pretoria had told the Zimbabwe government that "we would not agree with actions that deny the right of Zimbabweans to protest peacefully, democratically".
Reports by doctors and civil rights bodies revealed that at least 250 people had to be treated in hospital in the last week for severe injuries inflicted by soldiers rounding up supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
The clampdown followed last week's massive support for a two-day national stayaway called by the MDC to protest against the collapse of the rule of law that has brought the country into its worst ever political and economic crisis.
The MDC has given Mugabe until Monday to respond to an ultimatum to restore the rule of law or face peaceful mass demonstrations to remove him.
On Friday, Zimbabwe's justice minister Patrick Chinamasa also dismissed repeated statements by Mbeki that the government had agreed to amend what has been described as draconian security laws that violated constitutional rights.
He said the government would not change the Public Order and Security Act (Posa), used by the regime to quash virtually any form of public criticism of, or demonstrations against Mugabe.
"We cannot amend Posa when we are under an onslaught from institutions which are causing mayhem and anarchy in the country," Chinamasa was quoted as saying in the privately owned Zimbabwe Independent.
"We cannot loosen up and let the MDC and other puppets of the United States and Britain run around bombing bridges and shops.
"Get it from me, Posa will not be amended. We are not doing that and we make no apologies."
Also on Saturday, Mugabe attacked the "white" member of the Commonwealth troika consisting of South Africa, Nigeria and Australia over the organisation's decision to extend Zimbabwe's year-long suspension from the body until December.
"The racial high-handedness of the white commonwealth has once again been demonstrated against Zimbabwe by racist Australian prime minister (John) Howard and his New Zealander neighbour (Don) McKinnon (the secretary-general) who singly is acting in a manner that threatens to wreck our Commonwealth," he said.
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