Johannesburg — PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma expressed concern about the situation in Zimbabwe after meeting Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in Cape Town yesterday.
Zuma and Tsvangirai met to discuss the deterioration of political relations across the Limpopo following last week's temporary withdrawal of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) from the inclusive government.
"Zimbabwe should not be allowed to slide back into instability," Zuma said.
Tsvangirai launched a diplomatic campaign in the region this week to persuade leaders of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) to intervene in crisis-torn Zimbabwe.
"Prime Minister Tsvangirai has met President Zuma for critical talks. The prime minister raised a number of issues leading to his decision to disengage from cabinet and the council of ministers," Tsvangirai's spokesman, James Maridadi, said.
"The two leaders discussed in detail the issues at stake covering matters in dispute and those which need to be implemented in terms of the Global Political Agreement."
Zuma, who relinquished the Sadc chairmanship last month, remains influential in the bloc.
Diplomatic sources said that Sadc executive secretary Tomaz Salamao was yesterday expected to meet Zuma and former South African president Thabo Mbeki.
Tsvangirai would next meet Angolan President Eduardo dos Santos and Sadc's chairman, the Democratic Republic of Congo's President Joseph Kabila.
Tsvangirai on Tuesday met the chairman of the Sadc organ on politics, defence and security, Mozambican President Armando Guebuza, in Chimoio.
Guebuza said he would dispatch a Sadc team to Zimbabwe to hold talks with Mugabe and his Zanu (PF) party and the two factions of the MDC in an attempt to resolve the standoff.
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to no one's surprise the MDC is finding it difficult indeed to sleep in the same bed with a murderous dictator.
Zuma and SA do not really care about Zimbabweans.As leading nation in the SAD Committee one would expect SA would take a tougher stand on Mugabe, since it was SA with the toothless SADC that sort of pushed the MDC in this GNU and Mugabe's signature shows to be zero. Biti was right that it was not wise to sign any agreement before all the outstanding issues were solved. After sighning we did not hear from SA anymore.SA is only interested in a quiet situation in Zimbabwe cause the worldcup is coming to SA.SA doesn't want any revolution at it's threshold and in the meantime SA has cheap labour from Zim and for SA workers it's more difficult to ask a payrise.Instead of bellydancing around in his leopard bikini, Zuma,showing he is a sheep in leopard's clothes,'d better puts more pressure on Mugabe. If he doesn't ,he really risks a lot of trouble during the worldcup and who would be to blame for it?For sure he would point to Mbeki. In expressing his concerns about what could happen during the worldcup he also showed Zimbabweans what is SA's achillesheel and Zimbo's could take advantage of that.By putting more pressure on Zuma to deal with the outstanding issues or if nothing is solved again ultimately they could come to the choice for a much needed change during the woldcup: Now or Never.People in general better avoid SA and the worldcup.
south africa cares - because they too will have to get their land back. It is going to happen. The question you should ask tsva and his friends. Does it not hurt HIM and THEM to see black south africans living in dustball bantustans and shacks - Why is it okay for whites to own LAND and not blacks.
Mehl....dont confuse issues here please buddy. I really dont give a monkey's behind who owns the land...as long as that very same person farms it for the benefit of the nation as a whole..not retain it as some sort of trophy to parade to visiting relatives in an attempt to flaunt one's wealth!! There is enough fertile land in zimbabwe..south africa..why dont the black folk settle on that land and prove to the white man they can be as good as him at farming. Surely the black govts will wish to see them succeed and could advance them fabourable loan terms. The proof that there is spare land available is evident in the fact that Mozambique and Zambia have been routinely doling out fertile land to ex zimbabwean white farmers who were forced off their farms!! Sheer politics of envy and nothing else if you ask me!!
Rmkooistra . . . do you you are making threats to SouthAfrica re: world cup games. ..thats the height of disrespect for all people of Africa. I say go to hell with your world cup and the MDC-T. Biti has no balls to pull out of the unity gvt and be his own man. Biti thinks that he can eat his cake and have have it. Declare the war, stand your ground and meet head-on the consequences. Let Biti show us his balls.
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