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Namibians protest against Mugabe visit

Dozens of protesters in Namibia vented anger on Wednesday at visiting Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe while Africa's most elderly leader sealed bilateral deals with his host, Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba.

While the leaders concentrated on deals which include an accord for Zimbabwe to supply Namibia with energy, human rights groups tried to ensure Mugabe could not forget his domestic woes by demonstrating in the normally tranquil capital.

Around 80 people from various rights groups, including a gay and lesbian organization, denounced Mugabe's record of government.

"Mugabe has become an eyesore for the international community," said Miriam Sakaria, a spokeswoman for the National Society for Human Rights that organized the rally outside the Zimbabwe High Commission in downtown Windhoek.

She called on the Mugabe government to "create an enabling environment for human rights defenders in Zimbabwe to operate without fear or detention" and to "restore operation of free electronic and print media in Zimbabwe."

One of the demonstrators, who declined to be named, was a Zimbabwean student who said he had gone into exile "because of the living conditions and harassment on campus."

Mugabe's visit to Windhoek, his first since his old ally Sam Nujoma stood down as president in 2005, has sparked controversy in Namibia.

Ben Ulenga, leader of the main opposition Congress of Democrats, said Mugabe had harassed opponents and interfered with the independence of the judiciary.

"If there's any one country in southern Africa from which Namibia can learn how not to do things, that's Zimbabwe," he said in a statement.

Even Pohamba appeared to have a dig at Mugabe's record in a banquet speech on Tuesday night in which he said: "We must re-energize efforts to strengthen democratic governance and the rule of law for a more peaceful continent."

His comments came after Mugabe issued a stout defense of his controversial land reform program, and blame his country's economic woes on "punitive" sanctions imposed by the West over allegations that elections in 2002 were rigged.

The two leaders held private talks at State House on Wednesday morning, followed by two-hour long bilateral negotiations before witnessing the signing of the joint agreements.
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