BCP slams Masisi over Zim utterances
Staff Writer | Tuesday September 6, 2022 06:00
According to a statement issued by BCP’s Information and Publicity Secretary, Dr Mpho Pheko following Masisi’s visit to Zimbabwe, the indignation is resultant of "President Masisi’s irresponsible commentary which utterly disregards the prevailing political and economic situation engulfing our neighbours".“Botswana continues to call for the removal of sanctions against Zimbabwe.
We just came from our elective congress, and ZANU PF was represented very well.
The two ruling parties have relations, we are friends,” read the statement. “President Masisi’s visit to Zimbabwe was a state visit, the BCP is therefore surprised at the partisan nature of his welcome, which is a foreign practice in the conduct of international relations, especially those of a sovereign nation.
Masisi’s attempt to absolve ZANU PF and President Emmerson Mnangagwa from the Zimbabwean crisis is not only an affront and insult to the suffering people of Zimbabwe, but it is also an attempt to revise history in the most deceptive way.
It is similar to convincing us that Idi Amin was an honourable man.” The BCP added it holds that the sanctions are only targeted at designated people in Zimbabwe, who are key members of former president Robert Mugabe regime, including Mnangagwa.
The party states that how this affects the economy of Zimbabwe is yet to be explained and called on Masisi to confide in Batswana before he tells the world that he speaks on their behalf.
The BCP further called upon the Government of Zimbabwe to introduce the necessary reforms that will allow for true democracy to thrive. They said repression of political opponents and intimidation of those that challenge the ZANU PF regime should be condemned in the strongest possible terms. “Instead of focusing on President Mnangagwa’s personal problem of sanctions, we pray the two must:
Provide economic reliefs to Zimbabweans at home to scale down economic migrants in other countries; Stop repressive actions against citizens of Zimbabwe whose only crime is to offer alternative voice and express their democratic rights; Provide a solution to the continuing cases of cattle rustling between the two countries; Deliberate on democratic reforms that amongst others, would allow Zimbabweans in the diaspora to participate in their country’s electoral processes, without having to cross borders,” the statement added.
The BCP said it believes Zimbabwe can be better as the economic situation there has a trickle-down effect on the southern region.
Blaming targeted sanctions without resolving the above points is not in the interest of an ordinary Zimbabwean, the statement read. “Having noticed a decline of democracy and the disregard of the rule of law in Botswana under the BDP government, the BCP hopes that the budding friendship between BDP and ZANU PF will not further undermine democracy in the two countries.”