The great lakes region executive secretary Libarato Mulamula has described Zambia as a champion of democracy and god governance.
Although I have my own reservations about this description, I would like to urge Ms Mulumula to help Zambia extend this democracy and good governance to neighbouring Zimbabwe. I am saying so because of certain grey areas in Zambia’s own quest to attain democracy.
Although Zambia has not a good model in as far as democracy is concerned, I still believe that a lot can be done to restore order in Zimbabwe.

Zambia is one of Zimbabwe’s neighbours worst affected by the slump in economics and democracy. For instance, there are scores of Zimbabwean women engaged in commercial sex work in Zambia. Others are living on Zambia’s streets where they engage in street vending, which is illegal.

I suggest that public diplomacy be engaged in the Zimbabwe issue because other diplomatic avenues have proved to be ineffective in handling the problem.

I am not for the idea of removing Mugabe from power by force, but rather, he must be made to realize that he should not fight democracy, which he fought tooth and nail against the British before 1980.

This message to Mugabe must not be equivocal. The SADC leaders must not disown Mugabe ruthlessly, but they must team up and deliver one message because Zimbabwe does not belong to him or the so-called war veterans.

If it is time to go, SOME African leaders must go honourably and not give us hell as Mugabe has done.

Such African leaders must not wait for someone to push a bullet in their head or the American and British to invade them before they could move on from power.

Mr Mugabe must realize the power of diplomacy, which I believe he is resisting.

Mr Mugabe must know by now that where diplomacy fails, conflict takes place and this is not what we would like to see besiege our neighbours.

But again, SADC leaders and those involved in the Zimbabwe negotiations must not just look to diplomacy because Mugabe has embarrassed them before. These leaders must not let this man dictate to them. The negotiators must dictate to Mugabe. The negotiators must have the interest of people of SADC as a region at heart.