Zimbabwe

Thabo Mbeki has been criticised for his softly softly approach to the question of Zimbabwe's elections. I believe he is right. What does the world expect the Southern African countries to do? Go to war against Zimbabwe? Impose sanctions against the people of Zimbabwe? Does the world want to create another troubled region like the middle east? South Africa has only just emerged from apartheid yet it seems the world expects it to take a hostile stance towards it's neighbour.

What do you think might have happened to Thabo Mbeki if he had criticised Mugabe publicly while he was in Zimbabwe surrounded by the Zimbabwean police and the military? What was said privately between these two men might be very different from what was said to the media.