South Africa tells Robert Mugabe to surrender

The Times ^ | 7/27/2008 | R W Johnson in Johannesburg

[bruinbirdman]

The president and his cronies face a humiliating end

THE president of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, has been warned by Thabo Mbeki, the South African president, that he faces prosecution for crimes he has committed during his 28 years in office unless he signs a deal to give up all effective power.

Mbeki, who has done all he can to shield and support Mugabe for the past eight years, has come under overwhelming western pressure and has had to tell Mugabe that he could no longer protect him and key cronies from being charged by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The power-sharing talks between Mugabe’s Zanu-PF and Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) are shrouded in secrecy. But The Sunday Times has learnt that Mugabe, who has vowed that Tsvangirai will never be in government and that “only God can remove me from power”, faces humiliation over the terms of the deal that he will be forced to sign next month.

He will remain as president in name only. All real power will be held by a 20-member cabinet under Tsvangirai as prime minister. The opposition MDC will have 11 cabinet posts to nine for Mugabe’s Zanu-PF.

All Mugabe’s senior officials in the army, police and intelligence services, who have unleashed a campaign of terror since the MDC won a disputed victory in the elections held in March, will be dismissed.

Observers caution, however, that bringing Mugabe to justice could be protracted since Zimbabwe does not recognise the jurisdiction of the ICC. Any investigation would require a referral from the United Nations security council, which would probably be blocked by China or Russia.

The transitional government will have close ties to a group of western donor nations known as the Fishmongers Group, set up a year ago on Britain’s initiative.

[Mark was here]

He cant go, Detroit Mayor Kwamie should not loose his role model.

[Freedom'sWorthIt]

Could their finally be light in the deep darkness that Mugabe has brought on the suffering souls in Zimbabwe?

I pray it is so....but will not rejoice until he and his thug cronies are dead and gone from this world.

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

Any investigation would require a referral from the United Nations security council, which would probably be blocked by China or Russia.

What about the United States? I thought we did not support the International Court of Criminals. Are we not concerned that all the ICC communists will attack our leaders as war criminals?

[ken21]

all your 28,000,000,000,000 bank notes belong to us!

come out with your mistresses, now!

[sergeantdave]

This is why the UN and the ICC is worthless.

Mugabe the racist murdering pig should have been indicted, bombed, captured and drawn and quartered 20 years ago.

But Marxist pigs like Mugabe are protected by the American black racist caucus, the Nazi NYT and other insects in America.

It’s time to realize that we will never enjoy freedom as long as leftists are allowed to live in America unmolested and unaccountable.

[rfp1234]

Mbeki, who has done all he can to shield and support Mugabe for the past eight years, has come under overwhelming western pressure and has had to tell Mugabe that he could no longer protect him and key cronies from being charged by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

"Mr. Mbeki, make Mugabe step down...or else, South Africa will be dumped as host of the 2010 World Cup of Soccer!"

[compound w]

Didn’t all these African chiefs have a meeting about a month ago? Didn’t they all pat Mugabe on the back and tell him what a great guy he was? Ever hear the expression, “a day late and a dollar short?”

[Rembrandt]

The International Criminal Court renders its verdict:

Robert Mugabe, you have been found guilty.

Your penalty is for George W. Bush to serve 50 years in prison in Guantanamo.

[Wil H]

Hey! Don’t knock it.

Marxism works!

Everyone in Zimbabwe is a Billionaire!

[ArmstedFragg]

At the rate they’re going, they may get dumped anyway. Mexico volunteered to replace them today.

[goldstategop]

Its kind of amusing to see the hypocrisy from the British who forced the Rhodesians to surrender their country to black Marxist thugs. Is Zimbabwe really that much better off after nearly three decades of black rule? The verdict's in now. Ian Smith and the whites never did a fraction of the damage to the blacks that Robert Mugabe inflicted upon his country. Yet the West insisted on political correctness over allowing the situation in what was then Rhodesia to evolve naturally. They can spare us the crocodile tears over the country's unfortunate victims of Mugabe's reign of terror.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[garyhope]

Surrender? Why doesn’t somebody just kill this worthless POS? Do the world a favor.

[mkjessup]

That genocidal piece of sh*t Mugabe should have been converted to worm food decades ago.

The worms in Zimbabwe must have a real good union, to have put off THAT toxic meal for this long.

[Impy]

This is a message for any of Mugabe’s guards that might be reading this (unlikey :p ). Put one in his head. Be a hero.

[wastedyears]

He likely won’t leave.