Phandu Skelemani. Photograph: Giordano Stolley
Botswana effectively boycotted the SADC summit last weekend when its new President Seretse Khama Ian Khama did not take his place at the heads of government meeting. Mandy Rossouw spoke to Botswana’s Foreign Minister Phandu Skelemani.
Why was Botswana not represented at the recent Southern African Development Community summit?
In [the African Union summit in] Sharm el-Sheikh and [SADC meeting in] Durban we made it clear that we don’t recognise Robert Mugabe as the president of Zimbabwe. We take the view that the run-off elections of June 27 did not produce a president because the election was condemned by all observers, including SADC’s own observers. It was also a breach of Zimbabwe’s own laws as well as SADC principles on free and fair elections. How can we then go and sit around a table where only governments should sit?
How did other heads of state respond to Botswana’s stayaway?
They understood our position. They Âobviously did not support us.
What was the message that ÂBotswana wanted to convey by not having its head of state present at the meeting?
Clearly that if you took Mugabe as having been elected, even though the election was a farce, what are you talking about? Democracy in this region is gone. We say let these people go and thrash things out and be allowed to hold proper elections when they have done so.
No one should be allowed to treat SADC like this. The other countries in SADC told us they knew these elections were questionable but said the next step is to let the ZimbabÂweans negotiate and in the meantime continue to treat Mugabe as president. It is a contradiction.
How does Botswana think the Zimbabwean situation should further be dealt with to achieve the best results?
We are avoiding taking sides. Negotiations must continue and President Thabo Mbeki must continue to facilitate the talks. There should be a give-and-take attitude. They can share executive power between [Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan] Tsvangirai and Mugabe and form a government that will allow time to prepare for a run-off.
They also have to weigh the political situation because there is no use holding elections while the violence is continuing. Then the people can have a final say. People should choose, not the political leaders.