Wyndham Hartley
31 August 2007
Cape Town — Despite many declarations from politicians in Zimbabwe that the discussions brokered by President Thabo Mbeki were going nowhere, Mbeki declared yesterday that he believed the Zimbabweans when they said they could resolve their problems and ensure a free and fair election.
Mbeki's confidence in the facilitation process that he heads came only hours after Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai told an audience in Australia that the only way the crisis could be resolved would be for President Robert Mugabe to be given indemnity from prosecution, because only then would he leave office.
Mbeki also flatly rejected any action by SA that was not in the context of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mandate. He was mandated by an extraordinary summit of the SADC about five months ago to get the parties in Zimbabwe talking. This followed attacks on opposition leaders by Zimbabwe police.
Facing MPs across the floor of the National Assembly yesterday, Mbeki said: "We are not going to get involved in any kind of regime change in Zimbabwe. We cannot decide for them."
He insisted that only Zimbabweans could decide their future.
In sharp contrast to statements from Zimbabwean Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa that there was no need for negotiations with the opposition MDC, Mbeki insisted that Zanu (PF), the two MDC factions and Zimbabwe civil society generally were convinced that they could achieve a settlement that would deliver a peaceful and fair election.
"I believe the Zimbabweans about their own country, and they all say that it is possible," Mbeki said. He said Zanu (PF) and the two MDC factions "are meeting, have been meeting, and will continue to meet" to address the climate that was necessary for free and fair elections.
Both African Christian Democratic Party MP Cheryllin Dudley and Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Mark Lowe had asked Mbeki what frightened, terrorised and beaten Zimbabweans should do.
Lowe said that a recent DA fact-finding mission to the border had encountered only fear and human tragedy, and asked why international pressure could not be used against Mugabe to achieve change in much the same way as the ANC had defeated apartheid.
Mbeki said the opposition wanted to beat Zimbabweans with a stick to get them to engage when they were ready do so.
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