Botswana President Ian Khama has made an impassioned plea to his
Zimbabwean counterpart Robert Mugabe to be sensitive to the wishes of
the people of Zimbabwe and resign.
President Khama is
the only African leader to speak openly to the 93-year-old leader since
the heightened calls for him to step down last week.
Last
week, the Botswana leader reminded President Mugabe that they were
presidents and not monarchs and had to resign and let others take over.
“My
appeal is necessitated by an unprecedented situation currently
unfolding in Zimbabwe whereby your own party, Zanu-PF, is calling for
your immediate resignation and is in the process of instituting
impeachment,” President Khama wrote Tuesday in an open letter posted on
the Botswana Government’s official Facebook Page.
He
added: “The people of Zimbabwe have for a long time been subjected to
untold suffering as a result of poor governance under your leadership.
It is therefore my conviction that by vacating the presidency, this will
usher in a new political dispensation that will pave the way for the
much needed socio-economic recovery in Zimbabwe.”
President
Khama also wrote that President Mugabe's exit would usher in a new
period going forward of unity, peace and prosperity for Zimbabweans.
He also said it will allow the southern African country to be the economic powerhouse it is capable of being.
ALSO READ: Botswana’s Ian Khama to step down next year
Zanu-PF’s
Central Committee has voted to strip President Mugabe of his party
leadership post, amid nationwide calls for the 93-year-old leader to
resign.
On Tuesday, Zanu-PF ministers heeded a party
directive to skip the Cabinet meeting and instead attend a party caucus
to discuss impeaching President Mugabe.
The ruling party was poised to begin impeachment proceedings against President Mugabe later Tuesday.
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