The programme for Africa’s renewal is not a beauty contest on the catwalks of Paris, London or New York; it’s about the interest of the ordinary African man, woman and children in Dakar, Abuja, Tshwane, Polokwane, Khartoum and Harare.

- Joel Netshitenzhe, 2002

The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CCZ) is highly encouraged by the efforts being made by the government of Botswana in mounting pressure on the Harare administration to return to democracy.

The Republic of Botswana, under the leadership of his Excellency Ian Khama, has taken strides beyond verbal solidarity, but rather has also embarked on actionable offensives of sending clear messages to the region that they do not recognize the illegitimate regime of President Robert Mugabe and those of like mind.

In the week which has just passed, the Ian Khama administration deported two Zanu PF sympathizers, Caesar Zvayi, the former features and political editor of the state mouth peace, The Herald and Gabriel Chaibva, former spokesperson of the Arthur Mutambara led MDC. The administration argues that it will not hesitate to stand by the truth even if the truth is going to hurt those who have become strangers to the truth. The Botswana President also boycotted the just ended SADC summit which was held in South Africa on the grounds that they can not share the same platform with an administration that masterminded and effected an election campaign which left hundreds killed, thousands limping, many displaced and houses torched down in acts of arson.

It is the Coalition’s submissions that the government of Botswana, is standing for a noble cause, which poet Seitlhamo (Thabo) Motsapi (2002) properly contextualized when he said, “I could not compromise integrity by crafting lies. I did not posses the passion for illusion, the love of guile, the worship of obfuscation…”

In the Coalition’s position, Botswana is playing its critical role as a responsible neighbour to Zimbabwe which was defined by the Zambian government as a ‘sinking titanic’. If it was not for the collective actions and conscious undertakings of its neighbors during Zimbabwe’s liberation war against colonialism, it would have taken the country more time to dislodge the colonial yoke which had become an albatross on Zimbabwe’s neck. Countries such as Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia among others took it in their stride to house the liberation movements providing them with the requisite support to conquer the battle.

However, the ruling Zanu PF party is conveniently suffering from a memory lapse. The octogenarian leadership wants to redefine the facts on the ground in the struggle for the restoration of governance and legitimacy. Dissenting voices from neighboring countries are dismissed as borrowed western positions and ideologies bent on funning regime change in the country.

The government, through its public relations outfits such as The Herald and the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Cooperation (ZBC) are stepping on each other’s toes in a bid to exchange blows with such countries which refused to fall into the establishment’s line of thought.

In the view of the state controlled media, the state organized killings, rape, torture, displacements and acts of arson committed during the run up to the 27 June 2008 presidential runoff are seen as insignificant developments which are not worthy space in such media. One therefore wonders why hectares of space are being allocated to government’s venom on the people who took courage and continues to speak out against such evil.

It is not in our African culture to celebrate death, the way the deported former political and features editor, Caesar Zvayi lampooned and spate evil on the death of the charismatic Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) activist Tonderai Ndira who was killed in a state organized brutal and violent orchestra. Zvayi was one of the first Zanu PF apologists to cast a stone of condemnation, defining Ndira as a thug. According to Zvayi, Ndira’s death brought sanity to the country. One could think that Zvayi, did not have the normal human composition and the conscience of humanity which forbids death.

In essence he got carried away in the wave crest of the Zanu PF’s virulent campaign against MDC supporters. What he failed to contemplate in his voice of reason was that history was archiving the names and pains which the nation was going through for posterity. Due to such reasons, the government of Botswana saw it befitting to serve deportation papers to such a person who had become part and parcel of the Zanu PF campaign of subverting the will of the people of Zimbabwe who expressed themselves clearly during the 29 March 2008 elections by voting for the opposition.

It was lethal for the government of Botswana to expose their children to such an imbedded journalist. It does not make imperative sense that a person who literally became Zanu PF’s political commissar through his lengthy and tedious articles in The Herald could teach students to become professional media practitioners at the University of Botswana.

Literally, Botswana took it upon itself to act in the very same good spirit which Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania among other countries took to liberate the people of Zimbabwe from a deep seated crisis of governance and legitimacy. Tanzania for one, under the leadership of the late Julius Nyerere intervened in Uganda, to stop the late renowned dictator of all times Idi Amini from his cannibalistic dictatorship of the highest proportions.

We, therefore, call for the people of Botswana to remain resilient in their support for the people of Zimbabwe and to remain true to their position of speaking out against the illegitimate government of President Robert Mugabe and his ruling party.

We also pay special attention and appreciation to President Levy Mwanawasa of Zambia because of his resolve and persistence in calling upon the region to take a tough stance against Mugabe and his administration in a bid to return the tormented country to a democracy.

On the same token, we call upon SADC, specifically his Excellency President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and the continent at large through the African Union (AU) to stop coddling political monsters in its midst. It is the only effective way of establishing lasting stability in the continent, averting poverty and investment in sustainable development.