Mugabe’s war talk

Analysts say this could be viewed as a direct threat to Botswana, who this week deployed an army brigade with artillery to patrol it’s border with Zimbabwe. Botswana described the troop movement as a precaution’ against trouble spilling over into their country.

Relations between Botswana and Zimbabwe came to an all time low at the Au Summit in Egypt on Tuesday, when they refused to recognise Mugabe’s stolen election win. On Friday they reiterated calls for Mugabe’s regime to be suspended from the AU and the 14-nation SADC community.

Foreign Minister Phandu Sekelemani told reporters in Gaborone that as a country that practices democracy and the rule of law, they do not recognize the outcome of Zimbabwe’s presidential run-off election, and would expect other SADC member states to do the same.

Speaking to his bussed in supporters’ on his arrival home on Friday Mugabe warned his neighbours to be careful about provoking his government; If there are some who may want to fight us, they should think twice. We don’t intend to fight any neighbours. We are a peaceful country, but if there is a country, a neighbouring country that is itching for a fight, ah, then let them try it.’

Botswana’s new president, Ian Khama, a former commander of the country’s defence forces, has become increasingly critical of Mugabe’s rule and the problems it has caused in neighbouring countries.

A military analyst told Newsreel in the unlikely event of a war situation Mugabe’s army would struggle to sustain a battle, due to a number of factors.

The country’s airpower is almost ground to a halt due to lack of spare parts, soldiers’ morale is low because of poor serving conditions and the state of the economy limits the extent of how long the country can sustain a war. Currently the army is sending it’s soldiers on forced leave due to food shortages in army barracks. These are all factors that constrain its operations,’ the analyst said.

Since independence Zimbabwe has been involved in two wars, both guerrilla and counter insurgencies against MNR rebels who were fighting the Mozambican government and in the DRC, propping up the late Laurent Kabila’s government against rebels sponsored by Uganda and Rwanda.