Angula blames Britain for Mugabe’s rights abuses

THE people of Zimbabwe should make peace and reconcile “Namibian style” to bring stability and peace to that country and find an amicable solution, Prime Minister Nahas Angula said in Parliament yesterday.

“Namibia does not want to see regime change in Zimbabwe through external forces and Namibia does not want the situation there to escalate,” Angula said, responding to a question by Ben Ulenga, president of the official opposition party Congress of Democrats (CoD). In a statement on the issue last week, Cabinet said government was convinced that the government and people of Zimbabwe could solve the situation alone.Prime Minister Angula blamed the allegedly unkept promises of former colonial power Britain to make funds available for land reform in Zimbabwe for the current unrest in that country.The situation needed to be looked at from a historic perspective, Angula told the House, as before Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980, negotiations between Britain and the future leadership of Zimbabwe took place in London at Lancaster House.”Commitments were made (by Britain) regarding the land issue, but it was unfortunate that allegedly the commitments were not fulfilled.Zimbabweans got frustrated and a land reform policy was put in place but certain countries decided to bring about a regime change in that country due to that land reform policy.The policy put everybody into difficulty,” Angula claimed.Zimbabwe experienced an “unfortunate evolution to the current unfavourable situation”, the Prime Minister continued, leading to a “standoff” between the Mugabe government and the opposition that escalated to the recent violent crackdown on the opposition.”Police beat up people and the opposition used petrol bombs, which is an unfortunate development,” Angula said.”Namibia calls on Zimbabweans to reconcile and find an amicable solution à la Namibian style,” Angula pleaded.In a statement on the issue last week, Cabinet said government was convinced that the government and people of Zimbabwe could solve the situation alone.Prime Minister Angula blamed the allegedly unkept promises of former colonial power Britain to make funds available for land reform in Zimbabwe for the current unrest in that country.The situation needed to be looked at from a historic perspective, Angula told the House, as before Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980, negotiations between Britain and the future leadership of Zimbabwe took place in London at Lancaster House.”Commitments were made (by Britain) regarding the land issue, but it was unfortunate that allegedly the commitments were not fulfilled.Zimbabweans got frustrated and a land reform policy was put in place but certain countries decided to bring about a regime change in that country due to that land reform policy.The policy put everybody into difficulty,” Angula claimed.Zimbabwe experienced an “unfortunate evolution to the current unfavourable situation”, the Prime Minister continued, leading to a “standoff” between the Mugabe government and the opposition that escalated to the recent violent crackdown on the opposition.”Police beat up people and the opposition used petrol bombs, which is an unfortunate development,” Angula said.”Namibia calls on Zimbabweans to reconcile and find an amicable solution à la Namibian style,” Angula pleaded.