Mbeki gets tough

BY STAFF REPORTERS

HARARE

Following months of missed deadlines and stalled talks, South African President Thabo Mbeki has leapt into the driving seat and is piling the pressure on Zanu (PF) and MDC negotiators to break the political logjam and pave the way for free and fair elections in Zimbabwe.

Mbeki summoned the negotiators to meetings in Pretoria at the weekend, which he chaired personally for the first time.  Informed sources in Pretoria and Harare told us this week that “considerable progress” was made.

While both sides remained tight-lipped, it is clear that there is considerable pressure to get a move on and Mbeki is expected to visit Harare this week for another session with the negotiators as well as a meeting with President Robert Mugabe himself, who returned this week from his Christmas break in Malaysia.

Mbeki will use the visit to persuade Mugabe that it is in his interests to resolve the issue now, quickly, to avoid an election result that will lead nowhere. A disputed election will not resolve the crisis.

There are only two outstanding issues – a transitional constitution and the electoral timetable.

MDC insists that the elections can only be free and fair if they are held under the new constitution that has already been agreed by the two sides. Doing so will mean that the elections have to be delayed.

Zanu (PF) is insisting that elections should be held in March under the old constitution, with the new one being introduced by whoever wins the election.

Even Zanu (PF) insiders have now conceded that the March timetable is over-ambitious.

If the talks succeed and elections are successfully held that are deemed by all concerned to be free and fair, Zimbabweans could look forward to an end to their suffering as the international community is standing by with a rescue package to help the country get back on its feet.

Mbeki is obviously anxious to ensure that a breakthrough is achieved before the end of the month when an AU Summit is scheduled – possibly his last as President of South Africa. He needs to report back to the SADC troika next week at the latest.

Highly placed sources said Mbeki will offer the two sides the option of proceeding to hold elections in March, but under the new constitution. Or to hold a referendum on the new constitution, and follow this up with elections at a later date.