No evidence of Botswana training camps

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=13476

March 15, 2009

By Tanonoka Joseph Whande

GABORONE - Botswana's Foreign Affairs Minister says no evidence of terrorist
training camps has been presented to the authorities in Gaborone to support
allegations made last year by President Mugabe's government.

Phandu Skelemani said the allegations of so-called camps where saboteurs
were receiving training to distabilise Zimbabwe were nothing but "distorted,
manufactured and generalized accusations which were not backed by tangible
facts".

The allegations were made during the Extra-Ordinary Summit of the Organ
Troika of SADC Heads of State and Government on October 27, 2008, in Harare.
The SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation then mandated
an investigation to be conducted, a report of which would then be submitted
to the Ministerial Committee of the Organ.

"To the best of my knowledge, the team completed its investigations both in
Zimbabwe and Botswana late in December 2008," said Ms Leefa Penehupifo
Martin, speaking on behalf of SADC's Executive Secretary Tomaz Salomão. "I
am not sure it has reported back to the commissioning authority that is the
Ministerial Committee of the Organ Troika. As such, we have no clue of the
content of their findings."

Asked what SADC itself had to say since there were still people being
incarcerated or prosecuted in Zimbabwe on charges relating to terrorism
training in Botswana, she responded, "We are not privy to the evidence nor
to the incarcerations you are alleging."

Dozens of people were abducted for having been involved in such training or
of assisting such trainees. They included human rights activist Jestina
Mukoko and former Tsvangirai aide Gandhi Mudzingwa. While the majority were
granted bail two weeks ago a few are still being held, some in unknown
locations.

Andrew Makoni, a lawyer for some of the abductees told reporters in Harare
on Thursday that from October 2008, when the abductions started, to December
at least 31 people had been kidnapped.

"Twenty-two, including a two-year old baby, have now been accounted for but
the whereabouts of the others are still unknown," he said.

He said it was no longer known if the missing were still in police custody
or had disappeared completely.

Skelemani told The Zimbabwe Times Friday that Zimbabwe's accusations had
been put to Botswana for her response.

"Botswana totally rejects the unsubstantiated allegations which were made
and are clearly nothing more than an exercise to engage in acts of
intimidation and harassment of the innocent people of Zimbabwe," he said.
"The Zimbabwean authorities will do themselves good by releasing those
people."

Asked when the investigation would close and if Botswana would be happy to
let the accusation die without publicly addressing the accusations levelled
against the country by Zimbabwe, the minister said, "That is for the SADC
Organ Troika to determine as they were tasked to investigate the matter.
Botswana awaits the feedback from the SADC Organ Troika on this matter.

"We have expressed our concern about the undue delay in determining this
issue."

Skelemani went on to say that, generally speaking, Botswana's position on
Zimbabwe had not changed. He said it remained the official position of the
government of Botswana that, in the event of the Global Political Agreement
being rendered unworkable, a re-run of the presidential election should be
held under international supervision.

Three days ago, Botswana President Ian Khama told the Financial Times that
Botswana had not always agreed to "this sharing of power", just like they
didn't agree to the Kenyan model either because they felt that what should
be done on the continent was to ensure that credible elections were always
held.

"This power-sharing thing is a bad precedent for the continent," Khama said.

Asked to state Botswana's official view on Zimbabwe's Government of National
Unity and whether satisfactory progress was being achieved, Skelemani said:
"The inclusive government formed in Zimbabwe has, to some degree, addressed
the crisis of legitimacy in that country and this is a welcome development.

"Botswana had hoped that all the parties in government would seize this
opportunity and genuinely work towards the rehabilitation and reconstruction
of the country's economy. Regrettably, some elements in government, notably,
Zanu-PF, continue to encourage and engage in irresponsible acts and make
provocative statements which are likely to discourage the international
community from extending a helping hand to Zimbabwe for the benefit of its
long suffering people."

At the SADC Secretariat Martin said, "At the risk of sounding banal, I wish
to state for a fact that the Zimbabwe government of national unity was only
inaugurated on February 13, 2009, which is less than a month today and, in
my opinion, it is exceptionally too short a period by any measure to assess
anything less complex, let alone a government of national unity."

Early last week, Zimbabwe's Minister of Social Welfare, Pauline Mpariwa,
officially opened the Plumtree Reception and Support Centre, the second of
its kind which has been established in Zimbabwe by the International
Organisation on Migration (IOM) to provide humanitarian assistance to
irregular (illegal) Zimbabwean migrants being deported back home. The first
centre was established in Chiredzi.

"We look at the centre as an important facility which will help in the
documentation of returnees and therefore should provide data as maybe
needed," said Botswana's Labour Minister, Lethlogonolo Siele, during the
opening ceremony.

Asked if the opening of this transit camp in Plumtree was an indication that
Botswana still expects continuing traffic of illegal migrants into the
country, Skelemani said: "The difficult economic conditions in Zimbabwe are
still there. As long as this remains the case, people will continue to cross
the border into Botswana to seek opportunities for a better livelihood."

Could he cite any issue in particular that Botswana was not happy about with
regard to the current situation surrounding the Zimbabwe government?

"Yes," said Skelemani, "the continued detention of MDC activists, which can
only serve to undermine implementation of the Global Political Agreement and
efforts to attract international goodwill and the much needed economic,
financial and technical assistance for the rehabilitation and reconstruction
of the economy of Zimbabwe."

"Zanu-PF should end unilateralism and create an atmosphere conducive to
building mutual trust and confidence as well as to live up to the spirit of
the Global Political Agreement, wherein the parties committed themselves to
bring an end to the polarization, divisions, conflict and intolerance which
have characterised Zimbabwean politics and society in the recent past.

"The continued detention of MDC activists is a sign of bad faith on the part
of Zanu-PF."