By claiming that there was no crisis in Zimbabwe on the eve of an AU Summit held recently while killings, maiming and raping were being conducted with Mugabe's tacit encouragement, Mbeki has shown where he stands hand in hand with blood-stained illegitimate Zimbabwe President.

Mbeki therefore needs to co-partner with an AU appointed mediator like Koffi Annan for the sake of building confidence in the proposed "talk" process.

MDC-Tsvangirai is following logic; the maverick Mugabe should not be allowed any freedom to cheat!

ZANU-PF should first boot him and his clique out for a honest deal to be given the chance to succeed.

Why does Mugabe want to negotiate with the MDC anyway? As far as he is concerned the MDC is but a puppet of the west. He also believes that his overwhelming majority in the run off (sham) election gives him the mandate to rule as he pleases. So why does he care what the MDC thinks? Why does he even want to be associated with a perceived puppet of the west that only wants to recolonise Zimbabwe and take its resources?(as he sees it). You dont see other policital parties around the world winning, then negotiating with the party they defeated to give them some power to form a government. So why does Mugabe now want to give some of his power to the MDC, ie the puppet of the west?

It is because he did not win as he would like the world to believe. Just as it happened in Kenya. Real and Legitimate winners don't negotiate away their mandate and power to govern.

Exactly. My point here is that the very fact that Mugabe is willing to negotiate with the MDC is blatantly admitting that they did not win the election fairly. Because if they had won fairly, there would be no need for negiations to share power.

This post was deleted because it contravenes AllAfrica's commenting guidelines.

So you consider the intimidation of the opposition and the victimisation of their supporters fair? You consider the delays in releasing the results of the first round of elections that casts doubt on whether those results are truthful fair?

The reason he pulled out was to prevent further victimisation of his party and their supporters.

What I think you need to do is look past what the propaganda machine is churning out and find out what the truth is.

Zimbabwe's Problems: Mbeki is a Regret.

Mbeki is a disgrace to Africa, and black people worldwide. People like him have shown to the entire world that nothing good can come out of Africa, and the black race. He has not learned anything from the struggles, blood and sweat of the people who died to see him enjoy South Africa's leadership on a silver plate because of Mandela's poor choice of succession.

I respect and love Nelson Mandela wholeheartedly. But I am saddened by the poor selection of Thabo Mbeki to succeed him. Even Pete Botha (who wouldn't prefer) would have been better than Mbeki. And I think Mandela himself is regreting today for choosing this sort irresponsible joke ( Mbeki) to lead South Africa - one of Africa's proudest states.

Mbeki's selection is the sole regretable mistake in the life of Nelson Mandela. See what that joke is doing in disgracing Africa by distorting freedom and democracy. Is idiot like Mugabe someone to tolerate? Why would one man want to be president for more than two decades? What didn't he(Mugabe) do that he can do now when he is half way from the dead? Is this something that Africa should accept and even listen to? People like Mbeki makes me to be ashamed of myself as an African. This is why Africa is a laughing stock at the world body.

As a graduate in New York and an African policy research consultant for several international groups, I was the brain crusader for Africa's permanent membership on the U.N. Security Council, and my choice were South Africa and Nigeria. But just as Oga Obansojo killed my African pride by his attempted presidential greed, Mbeki finally burried it with his out-of-touch style of reasoning.

Surely, Kenyan new prime minister, Raila Odinga, was right in his jab on African leaders at DEVOS. Bravo Odinga. At least you, Mwananawasa of Zambia and the acclaimed Madam Johnson-Sileaf of Liberia have got something right this time as Africans - That Africa's respect lies in the way the Zimbabwe's situation is handled.

There should be no talks. Mugabe is old, and has lived out his usefulness. When we will ever learned to have former presidents traveling on behalf our countries, advising new and young African presidents? When? Should all die in office with millions left in Swiss bank unaccountable for?

Many European nations have no natural resources but they by far trillion times richer than Africa as a whole by GNP and life span. This is because we have poeple like Mbeki and his tyranical buddies like Mugabe.

We have resources more than anywhere in the world, yet we are the poorest, poverty stricken, disease infested etc. It's all because we have goat-thinking leaders. Leaders who reasoning is less than the dead.

I live in the West, attended school and now have a better job in the West. My children are born here, but I still cherish being an African; and I argued when other people, particularly Westerners want to belittle Africa and its leaders. I thought a man like Mbeki would join other decent African leaders who are turning history around about Africa's leadership. Why is Mbeki distorting everything - freedom, democracy, change, tolerance - stood for.

Does Mbeki believe that his irresponsible self would have being South Africa's president if Mandela had elected to force himself in power for life? Four years were sufficient for the good old man, and he gave way to this unreasonable and disgraceful African who is backsliding democracy and progress in Southern Africa by standing with idiot like Mugabe because of greed. Mbeki belongs in the same trash graveyard with Kibaki of Kenya, crazy Mugabe of Zimbabwe, sick Conteh of Guinea, naive Bongo of Gabon, tyrant Biya of Cameroon and loose mouth Jammeh of the Gambia.

We intellectual young Africans in the West, and working in better institutions are proud of Mali's Amadou Toure, and the leaders of Boatswana, Zambia, Liberia and Tanzania even though they are imperfect. Toure is hero, statesman, decent guy and a gentleman. Anywhere you speak of ATT, graduate students and political research speak admirable words.

My six years bi-racial and American born nice saw me frustrated about news coming out of Africa, and she asked: "uncle, is it true that your, Ok! our presidents in Africa are all brain dead?" I asked why? and she said: " this is what we see on CNN. They treat their people bad, and they say stupid things" Than I said what do you mean, and she said: "look at what the man that replaced Mandela in South Africa is doing in Zimbabwe".

I believe when Mandela dies, his soul will never be pleased because of his choice of Mbeki to lead one of Africa's promising nations.

Mbeki please redeem yourself and see the light as Mandela saw it, and for which he(Mandela) continues to enjoy worldwide respect as he reaches his 10th decade of life. Tell Mugabe to stop his craziness. Mugabe can be an inch of Mandela when he chooses to be an elder statesman. See Jimmy Carter, George Bush, Sr., Bill Clinton, Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, Jaques Chirac and all the other world leaders in many florishing and developed nations.

As a former program manager/director of an international refugee program in the US, I became shock that a South African was applying for asylum for economic reasons. This is a shame - shame on you Mbeki. This is the trend you believe Africa should take that is why you select to support Mugabe's madness at the disadvantage of millions of suffering Zimbabweans.

Mbeki, even though your past attempt to entrench yourself in power tainted your legacy as one of African respected leaders, your stands on Zimbabwe is the last and final bet. My advice is do not allow Mugabe's ugly face to rack your image on the world stage. We still have hope that you will think twice and act properly to protect at least 0.001 percent of your already failed legacy.