KAUNDA WORRIED OVER ZIMBABWEAN CRISIS (10-08-07)

legation in Zambia that the Mugabe regime was practising gross human rights violations and that a immediate solution to the crisis was needed.

Pilenje Kaunda also called on the opposition MDC to consider granting amnesty to President Mugabe once he accept to step down from office as a possible starting point of rejuvenating the country’s political and economic environment which has slowly soared over the past seven years.

Pilenje’s comments coincides with those made by former President Kenneth Kaunda recently when he openly castigated President Robert Mugabe’s government for ruthlessly beating opposition leaders among them leader Morgan Tsvangirai,

“Obviously there are things which I do not agree with on President Mugabe’s policies especially that of beating MDC leaders among them Morgan Tsvangirai,”said Kaunda in an interview.

Nqobizitha Mlilo, the MDC’s Political Liaison Officer from Zambia acknowledged Pilenje’s plea and said the MDC as a party had agreed to offer amnesty to President Mugabe as has been highlighted by party leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

“It has been our approach that once President Mugabe accepts to step down as a way of allowing a peaceful transition in the country it would be necessary to grant him amnesty as that would help Zimbabweans to move ahead with their lives,” said Mlilo.

Pilenje Kaunda also expressed sympathy with the people of Zimbabwean and said both parties were supposed to negotiate in good faith as a way of finding a solution to the country’s political and economic impasse.

Kaunda says Zimbabwe ’s rival parties should work towards a negotiated settlement. Zimbabwe is the country with highest inflation figures in the world pegged just above 10 000 percent according to independent analysts’ estimates with unemployment just a few inches to hit a 100 percent mark.