'Muldoon was right' about Mugabe being a killer, Winston Peters says

November 23, 2017

The Foreign Affairs Minister says there will now be plenty of support from Commonwealth countries for democratic elections in the country.

Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says Robert Muldoon "was right" about ousted Zimbabwe Prime Minister Robert Mugabe when he slammed him for "shooting people" in the 1980s.

Mr Peters, speaking this morning to TVNZ1's Breakfast, welcomed the resignation of Mr Mugabe, who resigned as Prime Minister after ruling Zimbabwe for 37 years in what many considered a brutal dictatorial regime.

"It means a progressively-deteriorating regime that began 37 years ago has now gone, we hope, and that there's going to be a dramatic and significant change towards a proper democracy and a chance for economic recovery of what was once a very sound economy," Mr Peters said.

Mr Peters recalled former Prime Minister Muldoon causing international distress in 1981 while facing off against Mugabe over sporting sanctions, when he remarked that Mugabe had been "fighting for years, running around shooting people".

"He's got a closed mind," Mr Muldoon said at the time. "I suppose when you have been in the jungle for a few years shooting people, you cannot understand."

Mr Muldoon was referring to Mr Mugabe's past as the leader of resistance fighters who ended white minority rule in Rhodesia - now Zimbabwe.

"Muldoon was right about him," Mr Peters said, "and sadly the people of Zimbabwe have paid an awful price".

Mr Peters was hopeful Zimbabwe's elections would usher in a new era.

"The next elections are timed for less than a year away in 2018 in August, and one hopes that Zanu PF and the other parties do have a fair shot at an open democracy in terms of the conduct of that election - that is critical," he said.

"The jury is still out at the moment [on whether elections will be democratic] but there are a lot of countries prepared to help them do things they way they should be done."

Mr Peters was confident that a truly democratic system could be introduced in the country, citing other countries doing the same, such as some in Eastern Europe, but said "the jury's still out".

"Every country in the commonwealth wants to see a return of Zimbabwe into the folds of acceptance of the proper conduct of political life and the rule of law and respect for human dignity and I'm certain there are countries around the Commonwealth prepared to help in any way they can."

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