He has come in for a barrage of criticism over a brutal crackdown on the opposition through 2007 that saw Tsvangirai badly beaten in police custody.
Tsvangiarai, the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, was hosted by the Australian government and met top figures, among them prime minister John Howard and foreign minister Alexander Downer.
Harare was furious about the visit. The country's state media called on Wednesday for the government to sever ties with Australia because it was seeking to topple Mugabe.
Canberra in May ordered Australia's national cricket team not to proceed with a tour of Zimbabwe this month. It has also cancelled the student visas of several children of top Zimbabwe government figures.
Tsvangirai, as he prepared to return to Zimbabwe, said he had committed no crime and did not believe any action would be taken against him when he returned home on Sunday. He did, however, admit he would feel nervous on his arrival.
He was badly beaten while in police custody earlier in 2007 after being arrested with about 50 others while trying to hold an anti-Mugabe rally.
Tsvangirai said the international community should keep a clear focus on the situation in Zimbabwe and not to forget its long-running crisis while preoccupied with other trouble spots such as Iraq.
"Zimbabwe must remain on the international agenda," he said.
Tsvangirai also said he was "cautiously optimistic" that South Africa's president, Thabo Mbeki, would bring pressure to bear through an initiative of the Southern African Development Community, a regional grouping that includes Zimbabwe, and also called for support from the African Union.
African leaders have been criticised for their lukewarm criticism of Mugabe's government but Tsvangirai said Harare should be forced to adhere to SADC protocols during the March elections. - Sapa-AFP
URL: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click...
Readers' Comments
Date Posted: Wednesday 05-Sep-2007
Post Colonial African History repeating itself yet again.
Corruption, greed on a massive scale & dam the people who struggle to live.
Might is always right in Africa, and u must never forget it.
Forget it is to yr peril!!!
Thats why I left in 1981.
Dont be so critical of others who dont have the ability to know how to rise up.
Plainly Africa does not the ability to run itself.
But they will never admit this as it is too humiliating for them to admit such.
So we have these continual failures where the people suffer endlessly.
I can remember traveling extensively in Rhodesia in 1975 & 76 and was very impressed that most black people spoke English very well. Their schooling was was very good in comparison with SA's in the 1970s. [ Thanks to the Smith Gov.] SA seemed to start catching up in the late 70s and 80s.
Bear in mind this was when there were sanctions on, yet the country was prosperous, fed itself & in fact exported a lot of maize to the rest of Africa on the quite & tourists flocked in.
However, if u are continually told that u will receive all the assets & benefits that the whites had in the 70s in Rhodie when/if a black gov come into power u will believe it.
These were all the promises that kick out & resulted in the poms., portugese & european colonies relinquishing power in Africa.
And look what it achieved, squalor.
Am afraid that SA will get get there too. Its a matter of time! Anyway thats similar story that will unfold in time.
Intellectual whites cannot understand nor comprehend that there are different thought processes that take place in Africa even if having attended western unies.
The only real progress Africa will make is that a black local person is elected by votes & fully controlled behind the scenes by a UN person that can control all monies and decisions that are for the countries overall benefit.
I cannot see that happening, so Africa will continue the slide to the ab bis.
I can remember a friend of mine tell me [ ex SA diploma] that in the late 70s that the white SA gov said to UK that Mugabe did not have the right character to be a leader & how about finding an alternative from his tribe to lead the country. Well, this was absolutely rejected by the Poms.
Always hope to end on a positive note, but alas I have none, but I miss all of Africa's wild animals & parks.
At least they are predictable.
Joeh in Brisbane
joeh
Bris
Oz
Date Posted: Wednesday 05-Sep-2007
What South African army? And who exactly would they be killing off?
adrianastuijt@knid.nl
Dokkum
the Netherlands
Date Posted: Tuesday 04-Sep-2007
Nobody cares about Zimbabwe. I lived in London in the 70's when Rhodesian friends had hundreds of thousands of Rhodesian dollars that were worthless then and are even more worthless today and they will never be worth a penny. They confiscated & kicked out the only people who ever generated any revenues for the country and kicked back to the stones-age. From a vibrant country which could have become a model for africa it has become just another typical failed state ruled by a black dictator who cares less about them than the colonists ever did. It is very trajic but it seems to be the norm in Africa. Just as in days of the slave trade, it is their black brothers who are selling them out for money & power with no thoughts of building modern successful countries. By the way I am not a racist as I truly feel sorry for the people but nobody will help them until they help themselves, as ion the case of Zimbabwe they lt Mugabe do this to them and never helped any of the people who had helped build their country in the first place.
Mr Real
Cairo
Egypt
Date Posted: Tuesday 04-Sep-2007
Ooops, error. I wrote:-
I even met, off the record, the South African Military Attache
I meant to say: I met the American Military Attache to South Africa...
Jan Lamprecht
Johannesburg
South Africa
Date Posted: Tuesday 04-Sep-2007
re: Rising up against Mugabe.
Its a complex story. From my position in Johannesburg, I spoke and dealt and met with many blacks from Zim.
Firstly, the Whites were a spent military force - only 100,000 in a population of 13 milion. And Mugabe disarmed them except for some hunting rifles. Mugabe has a modern army and a MASSIVE spy force. The whites could not by themselves offer military resistance.
The MDC on the other hand, Mugabe's opposition, had 80% of the support of the blacks. The MDC refused always to consider the military option. I personally met with senior members of their organisation and told them time and again.
Now they could not procure weapons directly. So I told them to go to Western countries who support them and to ask for military assistance.
At one point I did read that they met with the CIA.
But beyond that, I see no hope. The MDC are too wishy washy. The whites are tougher, but they're too few. I would have liked to see the MDC have more balls, standing by the whites AND seeking Western aid. Altogether this could have worked.
Early on in the early days - in 2000 - some Farmers and their black farm workers did fight back for a day or two - but Mugabe sent in the army, and since then, there has been no chance.
I have done my utmost, with what little influence I had.
I even met, off the record, the South African Military Attache and asked him about using force against Mugabe. He told me in no uncertain terms that US Foreign Policy here is DIPLOMACY. The solution will be DIPLOMATIC and nothing else.
I was disgusted and disappointed. I've spoken to everyone I can, and I'm afraid, voices like mine, calling for uprisings, war, etc - are in the greater minority.
The chance of it is virtually zero.
I think the CIA may be active, but I've seen STRATFOR analyses which may be from CIA sources and I think those guys who wrote it had their heads up their backsides. They believe a coup will unseat Mugabe.
The chance of that is VIRTUALLY ZERO.
So I doubt the CIA will prevent anything as well.
All in all, lack of interest on the part of everyone... and Mugabe wins.
PS: South Africa has a military alliance with Mugabe. If he is threatened, the South African army will be fighting in Zimbabwe!
Jan Lamprecht
Johannesburg
South Africa
Date Posted: Tuesday 04-Sep-2007
Hi Mike,
Your comments are spot on - on ALL counts.
The Zimbos can't beat Mugabe without the organised help of Europe or America to give them weapons, money and training. For a small amount of money, they could win.
But since that interest is not forthcoming... I also feel there is ZERO HOPE. Mugabe wins hands down.
Yes, I agree, the Zimbos are better natured than the S.African lot. The S.African lot are arrogant because they have not experienced the kind of raw suffering that all other blacks in Africa have. So they run around with lots of chips on their shoulders. But they have not experienced the harsh cruelty of the rule of their own dictators. But it will come.
You are right... things are bleak, and in Zimbabwe, Mugabe's victory is total.
I doubt the CIA can or will pull off "Regime Change". I'd rate the USA/CIA's chance of a Mugabe Regime change at 1%. Really... 1% chance of success - and Mugabe has 99% of getting away with this - COMPLETELY.
Jan Lamprecht
Johannesburg
South Africa
Date Posted: Tuesday 04-Sep-2007
The people of Zimbabwe have not changed. It took the organisational powers of Russians and Chinese to get them to wage a war against Ian Smiths government. Without white and Asian help, they are incapable of helping themselves.The ANC is in power today by the grace of the western worlds pressure exerted upon the Nationalist government, coupled to a final lack of moral fibre exhibited by the last Nationalist leaders.
Nowhere in the so called "Struggle" did the ANC actually do anything for themselves. Their bombers were white or coloured, their strategic instructors were white, Slovo et al. They are strutting about now as if they won something, even a war. They are a pitiful bunch of losers, who are busy losing a strong and wealthy nation to the powers of evil, corruption, laziness, inaction and superstition coupled to a breath taking arrogance which prevents them from seeing the destruction all around them.A very stupid nation, all in all.The blacks of Zimbabwe and SA are very similar, although, I feel the Zimbos are a little better natured than this sullen crowd.
Mike
Jhb
RSA
Date Posted: Tuesday 04-Sep-2007
Forget about Free and Fair Elections in 2008.
Mugabe is engaging in massive depopulation of the cities and bussing in people from the rural areas. He will win the 2008 election through MASSIVE SOCIAL ENGINEERING - and S.Africa's president Mbeki knows it and secretly supports it. That's why Mbeki "predicts" "Free and Fair" elections in 2008 - because he knows his best buddy, Mugabe, will win hands down!
Jan Lamprecht
Johannesburg
South Africa
Date Posted: Tuesday 04-Sep-2007
It's hard to feel sorry for the people of Zimbabwe. They haven't done a thing to solve the situation. They just do what they're told apparently. Doesn't anyone there own a gun? Why won't you people fight back? Not one farmer used armed resistance when their land was stolen.
You're a beaten people with no spirit left. Until the people rise up and DO something about Mugabe and his supporters they will have no sympathy from the outside world.
Rise us, fight back, kill the dictator and his supporters and take your country back. Or die slowly.
It's your choice and no one is going to do it for you.
Ookie
Monroe
USA
Date Posted: Monday 03-Sep-2007
the people of zimbabwe are a cowardly, defeated people. they would rather live like animals rather than rise up and overthrow the criminally inept and corrupted zanu-pf and its master mugabe. no, they value their own worthless lives so much that they merely acquiesce to tyranny. what a pathetic lot!
Draconius
Date Posted: Monday 03-Sep-2007
Error! Zimbabwe is not CLOSE to collapse. With an annual inflation rate of 1200 percent it HAS collapsed At that inflation level any country will have collapsed even before releasing such ghastly information.
William
Rochester
USA
Date Posted: Sunday 02-Sep-2007
Blah Blah Blah, that Morgan Tsvangirai is all bloody talk and no action, and what 'bloody' planet is he on anyway, Uranus ? Zimbabwe is no longer a functioning country, it collapsed long ago, to say that Zimbabwe is on the verge of collapsing is absurd because it has already happened.
John
Perth
Australia