No details on the talks were released to the media but government sources
said Sydney Mufamadi – South Africa’s Local Government Minister and Mbeki’s
point man on Zimbabwe – discussed the run-off poll with Mugabe as part of
Pretoria’s ongoing mediation efforts in its northern neighbour.
“Mufamadi arrived at State House (Mugabe’s presidential palace) at around 10
o’clock in the morning and went into talks with the President. It’s all in
the context of the mediation process,” said a source.
Some government officials indicated that Mufamadi would also meet with the
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, the body that runs elections in the country.
Mbeki is the Southern African Development Community (SADC)’s mediator on
Zimbabwe and has promised to push for an end to violence in order to ensure
the run-off poll is held under free and fair conditions.
Political violence broke out in many parts of Zimbabwe almost immediately it
became clear opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and his Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC) party had defeated Mugabe and his ruling ZANU PF
party in the March 29 polls.
The MDC, Western governments and human rights groups have accused Mugabe of
unleashing ZANU PF militias and the army to beat and torture Zimbabweans in
a bid to intimidate them to back him in the second round presidential
ballot.
The June 27 run-off election is being held because Tsvangirai defeated
Mugabe in March but failed to garner more than 50 percent of the vote needed
to take power under Zimbabwe’s electoral laws.
The MDC says at least 43 of its supporters have been murdered while at least
another 5 000 have been displaced in the violence that has raised
international outcry with United Nations chief Ban Ki-Moon, Western
governments and human rights groups urging African leaders to do more to end
the crisis.
The Harare administration denies authorising violence and instead says it is
the MDC that has carried out political violence in order to tarnish Mugabe’s
name.
Mbeki, who controls Africa’s biggest economy and is Mugabe’s most important
neighbour, is seen as best positioned to influence the Zimbabwean leader to
back off from violence and remove all impediments to the democratic process.
However, Mbeki has faced criticism over his handling of the Zimbabwe crisis
not least from the MDC, which says he has failed to apply pressure on Mugabe
and should be relieved of his duties as SADC chief mediator. – ZimOnline.
Post published in: News