Johannesburg — PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki met Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in Bulawayo last night in an attempt to persuade him to cancel next Friday's presidential election runoff and start talks to negotiate a solution to the country's political stalemate.
Pre-election violence has left dozens dead and made conditions "impossible for a free and fair poll," several organisations have warned.
Mbeki earlier met opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai in Harare to secure support for the cancellation of the runoff, which, it is understood, is supported by the Southern African Development Community and other leaders in Africa and abroad.
Sources said Mbeki tried to secure the first-ever meeting between Mugabe and Tsvangirai to resolve the deadlock through talks, but he did not get a clear commitment from Mugabe. Tsvangirai agreed to meet Mugabe to discuss a resolution of the crisis. Mbeki and former Nigerian p resident Olusegun Obasanjo tried but failed five years ago to get the two to meet.
It is understood that Mbeki is encouraging Mugabe and Tsvangirai to form a government of national unity.
Yesterday's meetings marked an escalation in Mbeki's mediation efforts. Negotiations have been gathering momentum over the past few weeks when representatives of Zanu (PF) and the MDC held meetings in Pretoria to find a settlement to the deadlock, which has worsened since the March 29 elections.
Mugabe and his party lost the polls, although Tsvangirai did not get the majority to form a government.
Sources close to yesterday's meetings said Mbeki told Mugabe it would be better for Zimbabwe to abandon the runoff because it would not resolve the country's political and economic crisis.
Tsvangirai's spokesman, George Sibotshiwe, confirmed Mbeki had met Tsvangirai. "I can confirm the meeting, I can't give details," he said.
Sources said that Tsvangirai complained to Mbeki that the runoff would be a farce because he was being prevented from campaigning, and raised concerns about political violence and killings.
At least 66 people, mostly MDC supporters, have been killed since the March polls.
Tsvangirai has blamed the state security forces for the political murders.
"Tsvangirai said the runoff would be a sham because he has not been allowed to campaign, his party officials and supporters are being arrested, harassed and killed, " one source said.
"He also said his party was being treated like a banned organisation, while he himself was treated like a criminal."
Tsvangirai also raised the issue of the arrest and charging with treason of MDC secretary-general Tendai Biti, his party's chief negotiator in talks with Zanu (PF).
Mbeki is understood to have told Mugabe that even if he wins the runoff his victory would be disputed by Tsvangirai and many world leaders, including several African presidents, because of the current wave of political violence. Mbeki apparently urged Mugabe to pursue talks.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced "profound alarm" yesterday , saying violence, intimidation and arrests of opposition leaders could not lead to credible elections.
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The GNU must be announced on the eve of the June 27th run off or any time earlier. Mugabe can not run an isolated economy when the neo-colonial superpowers control the politics of international finance funding. Tsvangirai can not run the country when his party and politics go against the not long won liberation struggle and moral political ideals of citizenry. Tsvangirais win will plunder our nation in a mutinous political crisis while Mugabes win will exacerbate the already critical economic state of affairs. Mugabe and Tsvangirai must admit that they both lost the trust of the people by underscoring and must therefore form a unity government in order to envelop their humiliation. In a GNU Mugabe must accept to probe and take action on institutional corruption while Tsvangirai must vigorously campaign for the restoration of international funding he encouraged to stop.
The GNU must be announced on the eve of the June 27th run off or any time earlier. Mugabe can not run an isolated economy when the neo-colonial superpowers control the politics of international finance funding. Tsvangirai can not run the country when his party and politics go against the not long won liberation struggle and moral political ideals of citizenry. Tsvangirais win will plunder our nation in a mutinous political crisis while Mugabes win will exacerbate the already critical economic state of affairs. Mugabe and Tsvangirai must admit that they both lost the trust of the people by underscoring and must therefore form a unity government in order to envelop their humiliation. In a GNU Mugabe must accept to probe and take action on institutional corruption while Tsvangirai must vigorously campaign for the restoration of international funding he encouraged to stop.
Dear friends,
what will Tsvangirai plunder in one of the poorest nations worldwide? For a long period Zimbabwe under Mugabe was the pride of Africa in many western countries even in Britain and United Statets. The pillagers of Africa nowadays have a yellow skin.....!
Is Mbeki suggesting a referendum instead of a run-off? Did the voters suggest a combination of the two evils during first round? Thought Mbeki was coming to find out which foreign power has this habit of abducting women and butchering them, so that he could get his SADC followers to deal with it.
What did the people say on 29 March? And why should they be muzzled on 27th June - those that remain with intact bodies by then? What is Dr Mbeki afraid of - Dr of mediations, I mean? Particularly, why did he (Dr Mbeki) not remind govt and police to stop the terror of daily killing of women - mayor's wife taken kicking screaming and found mutilated within hours, etc, etc? Why does he not simply give up and let someone more able handle this deep crisis? Where are the various other mayors of the world out there? Are they coming to witness these miracles?
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