South Africa's opposition EFF canvases for asylum for Mugabe

Imprimer

Pretoria, South Africa, November 18 (Infosplusgabon) - South Africa's opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has called on the government to grant Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe political asylum.

 

The state broadcaster, South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), said on Saturday that there are reports asylum may be on the cards following the military takeover in neighbouring Zimbabwe.

 

Another opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA) is, however, against the possibility.

 

The EFF said in a statement that the basis of the DA’s position on the asylum should be "rejected with contempt", dismissing the DA's postion that President Mugabe is suspected of human rights violations.

 

The EFF said no court of law had found President Mugabe guilty of any violations or crimes and called on the African National Congress (ANC) to make a decision granting President Mugabe permission to live in South Africa indefinitely.

 

The EFF said it believed this would advance peace in Zimbabwe and provide even better conditions for Zimbabweans to fast track to a democratic civilian rule.

 

In Zimbabwe, tens of thousands of Zimbabweans are attending a rally in the capital, Harare, to demand the resignation of President Mugabe who has led the country since independence in 1980.

 

The rally is another huge boost for the military who took over the country last Wednesday after sending armored vehicles into the capital on Tuesday evening.

 

The rally has been organized by war veterans, who for decades were the backbone of President Mugabe and his government.

 

Excited participants are carrying placards, some of which read "Mugabe must Go".

 

"It is time for Mugabe to go," said one man while a woman said she finds it difficult to feed her baby.

 

President Mugabe, who has been under house arrest, was on Friday allowed to attend the graduation ceremony of the Zimbabwe Open University in Harare.

 

The leadership of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) and a delegation of the regional grouping Southern African Development Community (SADC) have been negotiating the exit of President Mugabe. Unconfirmed media reports say he has been resisting calls to exit. There have been no details of the negotiations.

 

The Zimbabwean situation follows a bitter power struggle within the ruling ZANU-PF which culminated in the dismissal last week of vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa from his post and the party, putting President Mugabe's wife, Grace, in pole position to assume the post and therefore succeed the 93-year-old president. There has been no word of the whereabouts of the First Lady.

 

Many countries and organizations have not condemned the military action outright. They have stressed that there should be no change of government outside the ballot box. Significantly, the military have said it is not a coup, they have not suspended the constitution and have continued to refer to Mugabe as president and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces.

 

They are therefore using the laid down procedure - get the ruling party to recall President Mugabe and form an interim government of national unity that would hold elections.

 

 

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/AIL/ GABON 2017

 

 

 

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