BuaNews (Tshwane)
Michael Appel
4 April 2008
Pretoria — President Thabo Mbeki has urged all Zimbabweans to accept the outcome of that country's presidential elections.
Results from last Saturday's polls continue to trickle in with the presidential outcome still pending.
"We await the announcement of the results by the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission [ZEC] and of course, as I was saying; we would hope that everybody would accept those results, as they have accepted the results thus far," said Mr Mbeki on Thursday.
President Mbeki was speaking at a press conference following the conclusion of the 5th Session of the South Africa - Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Bi-National Commission.
He was joined by his counterpart and President of the DRC, Joseph Kabila.
Mr Mbeki highlighted that in March 2007, he was approached by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to facilitate discussions between Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
"Those discussions produced a whole set of agreements affecting the legislation, the Constitution and institutions," he said. It was agreed by both political parties, as well as South Africa, that an election in 2008 must come as a result of the facilitation process. Another important issue, he said, was that the election results must not be contested as it had been in the past.
The MDC and international observers had alleged vote rigging. Mr Mbeki indicated that the election results for the Senate, as well as the municipal and presidential elections were still outstanding. The overwhelming majority of House of Assembly ballots had been tallied, he said, and to date there had been no contestation of the results.
According to the electoral commission, the opposition MDC won the majority of votes in the House of Assembly, relinquishing Zanu-PF's 28-year majority hold on the assembly. Mr Mbeki said he had received a telephone call from MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Wednesday informing him that according to MDC figures he had in fact won the presidential race.
"Secretary-General of the MDC [Tendai Biti] announced yesterday that from their own calculations they believed Morgan Tsvangirai had won the Presidential elections.
"I yesterday had a discussion with Morgan Tsvangirai who called me to say, firstly that he had held his press conference where it was announced that he had won, [and secondly], that should the ZEC come to a different conclusion, that they were quite ready for a second round of elections," said the President.
The Zimbabwe election did come up in discussions between South Africa and the DRC, said Mr Mbeki, as both were members of SADC.
Meanwhile, media reports from Zimbabwe on Friday claimed that police arrested two foreign journalists. The two journalists, one from the United Kingdom and another from the New York Times, were arrested by police for not carrying the proper media accreditation. Police earlier had warned reporters that they would have to attain accreditation to be able to report on the election.
Many Zimbabweans, regardless of the election outcome, hope that the country will be able to reverse the hyperinflation of over 100 000 percent that President Robert Mugabe has blamed on international sanctions.
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Thanks to President Thabo Mbeki for urging all Zimbabweans to accept the outcome of the country's presidential elections. I am real puzzled wheather what Mr Mbeki said is what is happening with the government of Mr Mugabe? I also wonder if the South African president means what he say? many times when confronted about the reality of the Zimbabwe situation, he dithers and say Zimbabwe is not a South African province. True if not a South African province and you have failled to facilitate the free and dialogue between the two rival parties why not ask… [Read Full Text]
The ruling elite must give up power.They are so obsessed that they believe there is no Zimbabwe after them,hence their protracted struggle to hold onto power despite the loud voice of the people.Where in the world has a leader clung to the throne even when people die of hunger?He's too selfish,his commanders are primitive too.Did they fight the white regime to oppress the blacks?A dictator is a dictator no matter their race.How many civilians did Mugabe & the "liberators",Perence Shiri & co. kill after the end of "white" rule?Was it war time or peace time?Let them not fool themselves,I'd rather… [Read Full Text]