E&OE
23 December 2008
Interview - ABC Radio National AM
Subject: Zimbabwe
PETER CAVE: Australia's Foreign Minister, Stephen Smith, says the state of affairs in Zimbabwe has gone from catastrophic to perilous. But, he has stopped short of endorsing a call by the former Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser, to cut off the country's electricity in an attempt to force the dictator Robert Mugabe to step down as President.
Mr Fraser says the situation is so desperate Zimbabwe's neighbours must use all means short of declaring war to force change.
The Foreign Minister, Stephen Smith, spoke to our chief political correspondent, Lyndal Curtis.
STEPHEN SMITH: The Australian position all year has effectively been the solution is for Mr Mugabe to walk off the stage, for him to leave. That would be the best thing that could occur for Zimbabwe's future. That was true in the immediate aftermath of the first round of Parliamentary and Presidential elections and it remains true now.
LYNDAL CURTIS: The US envoy to Africa also says that Robert Mugabe is completely discredited within the region. Is she right or has South Africa still not moved far enough to condemn him?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well, all year we've been urging South Africa to take a more robust position, a more robust response, and that was true earlier in the year. South Africa remains the nation state in Africa that can influence the position in Zimbabwe the greatest.
So, we continue to urge South Africa, as we have publicly and privately in the course of the year, to be much more robust in trying to get an outcome in Zimbabwe which effectively doesn't involve Mr Mugabe.
LYNDAL CURTIS: The former Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser, says options such as not providing Zimbabwe with electricity should be taken because the step after that, military intervention, would leave Zimbabweans worse off. Is it time for drastic action?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well, it's certainly time for ongoing pressure. I think one would have to be very careful about the notion of cutting off electricity because one of the things which Australia has sought to do very carefully is to place pressure, through sanctions, on members of the regime, but, to do its best not to adversely impact further on ordinary Zimbabweans.
And the reason, for example, that we are now the fifth largest humanitarian contributor to Zimbabwe is because ordinary Zimbabweans are now living in terrible circumstances.
We've also made it clear that as soon as we see progress being made towards Zimbabwe emerging as a fully fledged member of the international community and returning to democracy and respecting human rights and the rule of law, we are open as are other members of the international community to provide not just humanitarian assistance, but also to look at the rebuilding of Zimbabwe.
LYNDAL CURTIS: Do you despair in the shorter term about the future of Zimbabwe and do you think there's a realistic chance that things will get better sooner rather than later?
STEPHEN SMITH: I've been somewhere between a state of frustration and despair over Zimbabwe for some time and I think I'm not alone or unique in that respect.
I think the international community has been very frustrated and close to a state of despair for some time and my grave fear is that however bad the situation is in Zimbabwe now, my grave fear is that it will get worse before it gets better.
PETER CAVE: The Foreign Affairs Minister, Stephen Smith, speaking there to Lyndal Curtis in Canberra.
[Ends]
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