Tension in Zimbabwe as President Khama of Botswana demand his colleague Mugabe to step down without delay

President Mugabe

There is tension in Zimbabwe after the president of Botswana in a statement asking president Robert Mugabe to step down without delay.

In an interview with Reuters news agency president Khama on Wenesday that for the sake of Zimbabweans the 94-year-old president should step down without delay and officials in Zimbabwe are in shock over the comment made by Khama.

Information minister of Zimbabwe Chris Mushohwe said on Friday: "The government of Zimbabwe is shocked by this uncharacteristic behaviour on the part of President Khama. It is taboo in African etiquette and diplomacy".

"We sincerely hope that this will be the last time Botswana's leader opens his mouth to bad-mouth President Mugabe and fellow African leaders. Why should President Mugabe be removed from office unconstitutionally as President Khama's sentiments seem to suggest."

President Khama

Khama has earlier said that since 2000 Zimbabwe has been in economic crises that has affected the growth of the Southern Africa country and still Mugabe has not be able to provide a lasting solution that will kick the country out of the problems and now i think this is the time for him to step aside for a new government.

"It is obvious that at his (Mugabe's) age and the state Zimbabwe is in, he's not really able to provide the leadership that could get it out of its predicament".

"They have got plenty of people there who have got good leadership qualities who could take over."

Botswana is neighboring country to Zimbabwe and has an estimated population of a 100,000 Zimbabweans living in its country, Botswana has an estimate of 2.3 million people and it feels the political and economics crises in Zimbabwe is causing the defection of its citizens to settle in Botswana which could be affecting the economy negatively.

Although Zimbabwe's economy stabilized in 2009 with the scrapping of the Zimbabwe dollar, a slump in commodity prices over the last two years has triggered a cash crunch, raising discontent in the country.

It is not only president Khama that is calling for the Mugabe to step down but majority of Zimbabweans are also calling for the oldest president in the world to step down as protest has been going on in respect to the same issue for the past months now.

President Robert Mugabe has been in power since 1980.