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Zimbabwe: Mbeki, Mugabe Meet On Violence
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Zimbabwe Independent (Harare)
8 May 2008
Posted to the web 9 May 2008
Dumisani Muleya
SOUTH African President Thabo Mbeki is expected in Harare today to meet President Robert Mugabe over the spiralling political violence and the potentially explosive presidential election run-off as pressure mounts on him to find a solution to the deepening crisis.
The meeting is expected to be tense as Mbeki is under growing pressure at home and abroad to break the worsening electoral deadlock and secure an economic recovery plan in Zimbabwe.
Mugabe and Mbeki may seem uneasy bedfellows, but biographers argue that Mbeki has an "atavistic loyalty" to Zimbabwe's 84-year-old leader.
Mbeki paid an ill-fated flying visit to Zimbabwe last month when he said there was "no crisis" here, sparking off an outburst of criticism from all over the world.
His damage-limitation bid later, saying he meant there was no "electoral crisis" as a run-off would resolve the stalemate, failed to quell the crescendo of censure.
Sources said Mbeki would raise the problem of political violence, inter-party talks and the run-off with Mugabe.
The run-off is unlikely to take place within the scheduled 21 days. Sources said the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), which met over the issue on Tuesday, would need at least 40 days to organise the run-off.
ZEC chair George Chiweshe seemed to confirm this when he said this week: "If the 21 days are not enough we have powers to extend."
Marwick Khumalo, who led the Pan African Parliamentary mission to observe Zimbabwe's March 29 elections, said Chiweshe had told him the run-off would be delayed, but "not for longer than 12 months".
Government has suggested it could be delayed by up to a year.
Mbeki is concerned about political violence and would tackle the issue in his meeting with Mugabe, it is understood.
Mbeki last Friday told African religious leaders in Pretoria that he would send a team to investigate increasing reports of violence.
He then dispatched a group of retired army generals led by Lt-Gen Gilbert Lebeko Ramano, former South African army chief in the combined defence forces, to Harare on Sunday to probe cases of violence.
The group has met government officials, Zanu PF and main opposition MDC members, civil society and religious leaders.
Sources said the team has gathered massive and compelling evidence of violence.
It said this has partly prompted Mbeki to meet Mugabe to deal with the emergency.
The African Union and Sadc this week sent envoys to meet Mugabe over these problems. The AU discussed the situation this week in Tanzania. The UN and EU are also seized with the crisis.
On Monday Mbeki sent his mediation team on Zimbabwe led by South African Local Government minister Sydney Mufamadi to meet Mugabe and ZEC officials.
The team, that also included Director in the Presidency Reverend Frank Chikane and presidential legal advisor Mujanku Gumbi also met MDC faction leaders separately in South Africa on Tuesday.
Sources said Mbeki is pushing for a free and fair run-off while keeping options for a negotiated settlement in Zimbabwe open.
Mbeki's other envoy on Zimbabwe, Kingsley Mamabolo, who was in the country last week, said this week conditions did not exist for a free and fair run-off. Khumalo also said the same thing.
This view is shared by many in Zimbabwe who are shocked by the prevailing climate of fear and political violence.
The MDC claims at least 20 of its supporters have been killed, but government denies some of the murders were politically-motivated.
Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono said a pre-run-off pact was needed to guarantee a peaceful and secure election environment.
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Tsvangirai is yet to officially confirm entry into the run-off, although he is almost certain to take part conditionally.
He wants a tranquil environment that guarantees Mugabe will accept the results. Mugabe told Senegalese Foreign minister Cheikh Tidiane Gadio last week he would accept defeat but also urged Tsvangirai to do the same.
However, Mbeki's mediation has run into problems with main opposition leader Tsvangirai's faction asking him to step aside, saying he is not an honest broker.
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