Mandela Breaks His Silence on Zimbabwe’s ‘tragic Failure of Leadership’

The former South African leader Nelson Mandela, has used his 90th birthday celebrations to break his silence about the prevailing crisis in Zimbabwe, condemning the “tragic failure of leadership” in the Southern African nation.

But political analysts were quick to describe Mandela’s statement as “Medicine after death”, adding that his role and slow-pace attitude of the South African government in Zimbabwe’s descent into violence have not gone far enough.

His intervention, made during a speech in London Wednesday night, follows criticism of the former South African president for failing to speak out against Mugabe.

Mandela’s unprecedented - and brief - foray into Zimbabwean politics came during a fundraising dinner in London to celebrate his 90th birthday.

“Nearer to home, we had seen the outbreak of violence against fellow Africans in our own country and the tragic failure of leadership in our neighboring Zimbabwe,” he said.

The British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the former United States president Bill Clinton were among Mandela’s tumultuous audience.

Former British Prime Minister, Sir John Major, was quick to dismiss claims Wednesday night that he had sought to prevent the revocation of Robert Mugabe’s honorary knighthood.

Major, who was in office at the time of its award in 1994, described the allegations made to journalists at Westminster as “preposterous”.

As Zimbabwe tension rages across Britain and beyond, Prime Minister Gordon Brown renewed his pledge to stand alongside African leaders who did not accept the legitimacy of the “criminal cabal” surrounding Mugabe and his ZANU-PF leadership.

“It is our hope that the UN and the African Union can work together for a peaceful transition in Zimbabwe and we are ready to commit substantial resources to Zimbabwe once democracy returns,” he told MPs.

“I can confirm that we are preparing intensified sanctions - financial and travel - against named members of the Mugabe regime.”

The Foreign Office is now urging against all travel to Zimbabwe.

Source African Press Agency

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