Speaking on a visit to Johannesburg, Tsvangirai said it was time for Mbeki to abandon his policy of refusing to criticise the leader of South Africa’s troubled northern neighbour.
We need a little courage from Thabo Mbeki. He can break even with his policy of quiet support for the dictatorship in Zimbabwe … He can add his voice to those demanding free and fair elections in Zimbabwe, said Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party.
He can do it without taking the risks that we are taking. He won’t be arrested, tear gassed, beaten, he won’t be charged with treason, he won’t see his supporters killed.
Despite the impact of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown on South Africa, Mbeki has consistently refused to speak out against Mugabe, who will seek a sixth term as president in elections on March 29.
Tsvangirai said it was in Mbeki’s interests to pressure 83-year-old Mugabe to prevent South Africa from being overwhelmed by the tragedy of Zimbabwe.
Tsvangirai stood in the last presidential elections in 2002, claiming that he was only defeated because Mugabe rigged the outcome.
Asked whether he was prepared to join forces with popular former finance minister Simba Makoni, Tsvangirai declared he would work with anyone who opposed Mugabe’s dictatorship but denounced Makoni as tainted goods.
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