Although the AU as a group was unwilling to criticize Robert Mugabe, a few countries including Botswana, Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia and Senegal did stand up and were not afraid to speak openly. Meanwhile, Thabo Mbeki is still holding out hope for his "quiet diplomacy" that has yet to show any success despite the lack of success, ever.
Botswana's vice-president, Lieutenant General Mompati Merafhe, declared that the outcome of last Friday's elections, in which Mugabe was the sole candidate, "does not confer legitimacy on the government of President Mugabe.
"In our considered view, it therefore follows that the representatives of the current "government" in Zimbabwe should be excluded from attending SADC and African Union meetings.
Taking the floor in a closed session, Mugabe spoke at length and delivered a blistering counter-attack on his accusers, according to diplomats at the summit. The tone was summed up by his spokesman, who said his critics could "go and hang. They can go to hang a million times. They have no claim on Zimbabwean politics".
