Depending on Mbeki to do anything constructive about Zimbabwe is hopeless. In this whole horrible travesty, perhaps the most disappointing element has been Mbeki's lack of any leadership. Mbeki is pathetic. Remember this is the guy who proclaimed after the Zimbabwe elections that there was no crises in Zimbabwe! If I had one hundered billion Zimbabwe dollars for every blind eye turned by Mbeki I'd be....oh, I'd still be broke.

RAH

I totally agree with Lamaggic. I think we, ordinary Zimbabweans and the MDC members are beginning to fool ourselves. Our behaviour these days reflect what we call in our Shona language, "kutsvaga uta nemugate" translated into English this means "looking for weapons in the cooking pot". Why do we perpetually fool ourselves that Mbeki is a man of integrity? Mbeki is in the talks primarily to help ZANU (PF) and Mugabe to remain in power in the best internationally accepted way he can. He is not a mediator, he is like Mugabe's attornery. He is there to advise and help Mugabe reclaim power in Zimbabwe in a legitimate manner. The MDC formations have been invited to the talks not to share in the power but to give their ascent to Mugabe's takeover of power. Mbeki is not alone in that scheme, the majority of African leaders want Mugabe to retain power as well. They know that the majority of Zimbabweans want Tsvangirai to be their President but they do not want that to happen because it sets a bad precedent for them, against which they will be judged in the future. The majority of the African leaders are not democrats and do not have respect for democratic processes. The African leaders will only accept Tsvangirai if Mugabe himself agrees to pass power to him, which Mugabe is not prepared to do. I know as Zimbabweans we are naturally optimistic people, but I think we have allowed ourselves to be hoodwinked already. The fact that we are beginning to look for something from these time buying tactics glorified as talks means we are doomed. Tsvangirai won the election by more than 50% on March 29 and Mugabe and Mbeki know it. Mbeki agreed with Mugabe after Tsvangirai won that there is no way Tsvangirai can be allowed to be President of Zimbabwe. The only difference between them was that Mbeki being a half baked democratic wanted Tsvangirai to get some government functions at least as a senior Minister in Mugabe's government. Mugabe, as a true dictator, did not want that idea but was prepared to compromise with Mbeki. It is clear to me that Mbeki and Mugabe have already defined the extent to which Tsvangirai will be allowed executive authority. Above all, Mbeki and Mugabe agree that Tsvangirai will not be allowed to have equal powers to or greater powers than Mugabe. The majority of the SADC and AU leaders agree to this (Mbeki and Mugabe's) position. Tsvangirai is actually the legitimate president of Zimbabwe. The only mistake Tsvangirai and the MDC made after the March 29 election results were announnced was to agree to a run off. They should have contested the March 29 presidential results in court. Tsvangira should have thought that if the runoff would be as fair as the March 29 election then Mugabe would lose again. I also think, contrary to what some people think, that ZANU (PF) and Mugabe had the capacity to rig the March 29 presidential results to make Mugabe the outright winner with more than 50% but they calculated that Tsvangirai would then quickly rush to court to contest the result. They calculated well that if they rig and produce a tie, Tsvangirai would not contest the results in court and would agree to take part in a runoff. The only problem for them was that the security forces over elaborated the military campaign resulting in Tsvangirai pulling out of the runoff. Tsvangirai showed that he is a political grandmaster by pulling out of the runoff. If he had participated in that runoff he would have been finished politically. Mbeki and Mugabe lost it when Tsvangirai pulled out of the runoff. But Mbeki and Mugabe are not finished yet, they have pursued him with talks to have Tsvangirai voluntarily ascent to Mugabe taking power. Tsvangirai has again produced another master strike of a genius by refusing to sign the agreement produced in the talks. Tsvangirai must continue to refuse to sign an agreement that leaves Mugabe with executive powers. The agreement Mbeki produced is like the Rudd concession of 1888 which Cecil Rhodes used to trick Lobengula. Tsvangirai must wary of his Indunas (negotiators) who may want to mislead him the way King Lobengula was misled by Lotshe. Tsvangirai should not allow himself to be tricked like Lobengula. Mugabe must not think he is in the mould of Cecil Rhodes who was good at tricking people. Tsvangirai must continue to negotiate with Mugabe tenaciously. I am confident that this time around, Mugabe will lose. The economy will bring him down. Tsvangirai must not show any mercies to Mugabe. Mugabe is not the kind of person to show mercy to. If he survives politically because Tsvangirai has treated him with kids' gloves he will not hesitate to devour Tsvangirai politically. To Tsvangirai, I say, "be warned, be strong, do not take Mugabe lightly. Please take full advantage of the state of the economy to dispossess Mugabe of power. There is no better opportune moment than now. Do not settle for anything less in the talks except the best. You are the people's choice. Mugabe represents no one in the talks but his generals, who are now beginning to consider deserting him as they know that their future will be bleak if Mugabe does not get your blessing to continue to be in power. Do not even start thinking a lot about the people's suffering. The people should be ready to sacrifice. In as much as they sacrificed a lot for Zimbabwe's independence, they should also make a sacrifice for a democratic future. Please do not give your blessing to Mugabe to remain in power. But if you manage to get into power remember the people's sacrifice. Do not betray the people like Mugabe did".

Mutambara is part of the problem. When is he joining the sanctions list where he belongs? Mbeki, we look forward to your departure from office. You have done enough damage. Mr Mugabe is mad anyway and is an accomplished dictator. Where else do you have a nation under constant fear of one old cold blooded murderer like this? I am coming to the shocking realization that most of the SADC and AU leaders would behave the same, given a chance. They seem to still learn a few tricks and see how tolerant the world is to oppression, so that they may perhaps practice it themselves. Illegitimacy has been in ZW all the time, only that now MDC has managed to unmask it for all to see. Thanks Tsvangirai, shame to Mutambara an the few that still support him despite clear evidence of his real person. Perhaps future generations will carry the torch of real freedom from African oppressors who happen to oppress much more than the former European colonialists.

There no element of suicide in this scenario. Mugabe has always been on the right side and i am glad that is still the case. For as long Tsvangirai is dancing to the white man's tune there will be no unity. "THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN". Tsvangirai should learn and become the prodigal son. Mugabe has always been the winner when ever the two battles and the same will keep happening. Its better we go slow than we sell our souls for material wishes

Mugabe is near the end of his reign. Dictators never see the end coming - their arrogance prevents them from seeing reality - but their rule is based on fear and ultimately, inevitably they fall. Sooner or later, Mugabe's threadbare excuses and increasingly transparent efforts to blame outsiders and whites for Zimbabwe's troubles will be seen for what they are and he will have to pay for reducing his once great nation to shambles. It might not be this month; it may not be this year, but the end is near. Without Mbeki to hold back the tide, Mugabe will be isolated and the country will deteriorate into even greater disarray and decay than it is now. Soon, the great people of Zimbabwe partnered with a new leader in South Africa will drive the dictator from power and his infamous place in history will be bare for all to see.

Kadzuu...Go slow to starvation and death, come on man. We need a bit of reasoning. You are the type of people being used to slaughter the grandparents,sisters and brothers for the sack of keeping Mugabe on the seat. What are you going to do then with his age?

Kudzai.. for your on information, Mugabe never won a free and fair battle against Tsvangi. He is a big looser.

True Negitiator, unless Kudzi believes those Uzumba - Marama - Pfungwe results. Remember in 2002 Mugabe got 43,000 in that constituency. In the March 2008 elections, he got less than 28,000 in total in the two newly created constiuencies of Uzumba and Maramba - Pfungwe. The other 15,000 voters had vanished. The Uzumba - Maramba - Pfungwe voters returned for the runoff and someone told me that Mugabe amassed a massive 60,000 there in the runoff. Only a mentally deranged person can believe that there are 60,000 voters in Uzumba - Maramba - Pfungwe. I am surprised that someone like Kudzi who is able to use internet can believe such trash! To Kudzi I say, "please ask your boss, Mugabe, he will tell you that he has never rested since Tsvangirai started delving in politics in 1997. ZANU (PF) had to resoundly rig the parliamentary elections in 2000, 2005 and 2008 and the presidential elections in 2002 and 2008 to deny Tsvangirai deserved victories. But this time around they are finished. Jongwe riya razoneta. Chasara kuribata nekuriwundura."