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South Africa to Mugabe: You’re over
Hot Air ^ | 7/27/08 | Ed Morrissey

Posted on 07/28/2008 12:54:59 AM PDT by Dawnsblood

International pressure seems to have finally had an effect on South Africa’s Thabo Mbeki. The man who almost singlehandedly shielded Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe from regional and global efforts to oust him has finally told his crony that he has two choices — resign or face prosecution for a myriad of crimes. Mugabe must hand real power to his political enemy, Morgan Tsvangirai, or else face complete isolation:

The president of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, has been warned by Thabo Mbeki, the South African president, that he faces prosecution for the 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 his 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 and 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.

(Excerpt) Read more at hotair.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: mbeki; mugabe; robertmugabe; southafricas; thabombeki; zimbabwe
Good bye ... (no cuss word seems strong enough)...
1 posted on 07/28/2008 12:55:00 AM PDT by Dawnsblood
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To: Dawnsblood

I am sure that the same parts of the Far Left that want President Bush tried for “war crimes” , will give the benefit of the doubt for Mugabe.

The good thing, however, is that it seems like much of the Left has shied away from embracing Mugabe and are now openly criticizing him. He should be. He is even more of a crook than Chavez, yet the end-result will probably be the same as Mugabe has been around for much longer than Chavez(that is implying what we are seeing now is what Chavez and his country would probably be like in many years. Maybe not as worse, hopefully as Mugabe acted like a complete thug when the last election was held). That is the problem for 30 more years Chavez.


2 posted on 07/28/2008 1:07:55 AM PDT by Merta (Who is the only parental unit that California Democrats wish preserved? The Aunt(Aunt War=ANWR))
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To: Dawnsblood

Feh. I’ll believe it when I see it.


3 posted on 07/28/2008 1:57:42 AM PDT by MDspinboyredux
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To: Dawnsblood

They will merely install another power hungry dictator who will continue in the same vein. These people are too stupid to survive.


4 posted on 07/28/2008 2:14:58 AM PDT by dbacks (Should we really elect a man that would not be allowed to be an airport baggage screener?)
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To: Dawnsblood
Mugabe is a figurehead. The thugs behind him call the shots.

The Dirty Half-Dozen: The generals who are even more ruthless and bloodthirsty than Mugabe

5 posted on 07/28/2008 2:18:34 AM PDT by Anti-Bubba182
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To: dbacks
"hey will merely install another power hungry dictator who will continue in the same vein. These people are too stupid to survive."

Yep. Same old same old. Must be a genetic thing.

6 posted on 07/28/2008 2:25:12 AM PDT by Nathan Zachary
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To: Dawnsblood

We cannot disenfranchise the voters who elected him in the first place, to the approval of Jimmy Carter.


7 posted on 07/28/2008 2:51:45 AM PDT by Mark was here (The earth is bipolar.)
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To: MDspinboyredux

That is the way I see it as long as Mugabe has control of the Security Forces, nothing will change, this is an attempt to have the crushing sanctions lifted or eased.

In Africa, it’s the local thugs that run things as long as they perceive that they only get paid and receive perks if Mugabe is in charge, then nothing will change one iota, this has the stench of a backroom deal.


8 posted on 07/28/2008 3:37:48 AM PDT by padre35 (Conservative in Exile/ Romans 10.10/Eze 11.2)
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To: Dawnsblood

China will protect its property. He’s not going anywhere unless it says so.


9 posted on 07/28/2008 3:51:52 AM PDT by mikey_hates_everything
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To: Dawnsblood

Why should Mugabe fear prosecution by the ICC? What enforcement powers does the ICC have?


10 posted on 07/28/2008 4:00:43 AM PDT by Maceman
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To: Maceman

“What enforcement powers does the ICC have?”

A bit of a clue it’s all a bunch of BS isn’t it.


11 posted on 07/28/2008 4:22:07 AM PDT by rockinqsranch (Say Obama were "Pinky", Then who is "The Brain"?)
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To: Maceman
"What enforcement powers does the ICC have?"

Because if he doesn't capitulate, the ICC will have the UN work up a strongly worded resolution.

That always works with psyhcologically imbalanced dictators, doesn't it?

12 posted on 07/28/2008 4:26:54 AM PDT by libs_kma (NOBAMA. Keep the change)
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To: Dawnsblood
Forget it. He leaves feet first. Assassinated or dead from old age, that's a tossup. No African leader is going to do anything about Mugabe. They all do similar things, or want to reserve the right to do so if it means staying in power.

The concept of rule of law instead of by those in power doesn't exist in Africa.

13 posted on 07/28/2008 4:53:36 AM PDT by Cheburashka (Democratic Underground: Ever wonder where all those who took the brown acid at Woodstock wound up?)
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