Lekota warns of 'real challenge' of regime change

Southern African countries face a “very real challenge” of regime change encouraged by foreign powers, Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota said on Thursday.

Opening the ministerial session of the South Africa-Zimbabwe Joint Permanent Commission on defence and security in Vanderbijlpark, he said a regime change is one of the “external threats” faced by countries in the region.

“We need to share information and intelligence on activities in this area. Working together, our reach stretches much further,” Lekota said.

His Zimbabwean counterpart, Sydney Sekeramayi, then singled out Britain, calling the former colonial power the chief architect of the regime-change agenda in his country.

Sekeramayi thanked President Thabo Mbeki for facilitating talks between the ruling Zanu-PF party and opposition Movement for Democratic Change in Zimbabwe.

“It would not come as a surprise if Britain, the chief architect of regime change in Zimbabwe, makes a last-ditch attempt at derailing the talks,” he said, adding that the talks were progressing well.

Lekota urged the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to use its influence in the African Union to sway other countries on the continent to its stance on the newly established United States African Command (Africom).

“We have also have to manage Africom, which threatens our sovereignty, ” Lekota said.

He also warned of the “growing danger” of private security companies. “This is a complex area because it’s difficult to legislate against it. We need to share information so that we can at least keep an eye on what these companies are doing,” he said.

The meeting of the South African-Zimbabwe Joint Permanent Commission on defence and security would also look at security issues, such as cross-border crime, illegal immigrants and preparations for the 2010 Fifa World Cup.—Sapa