South Africa's main political opposition, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has said recent developments in Zimbabwe provide proof that the country's democratic future rests on Robert Mugabe being excluded from the process.

DA Parliamentary leader, Athol Trollip, said on Sunday it is clear "the situation in Zimbabwe is deteriorating at a rapid pace and that the country is once again facing a political and further humanitarian meltdown." In the past week there has been an increase in violence, intimidation and harassment against MDC supporters and human rights activists, all in the aftermath of the MDC's 'disengagement' from ZANU PF in the unity government.

Trollip reiterated his party's position that the only way a fully functioning and legitimate democracy can be established in Zimbabwe is for fresh elections to be held, from which Mugabe is excluded. The party last month presented a 'Roadmap to Democracy in Zimbabwe' with Mugabe's strategic removal from power as a top priority. Trollip on Sunday challenged South African President Jacob Zuma, in his position as a member of the South African Development Community (SADC) Troika, to put this roadmap at the top of the Zimbabwean agenda.

"It is quite clear that neither party in this unity arrangement trusts each other or is capable of putting aside its political animosity in favour of establishing a democratic constitution on which a new Zimbabwe can be built," Trollip said

Trollip continued that intrinsic to this problem is Mugabe and those aligned to him, adding that Mugabe's interests "will continue to hold Zimbabwean democracy hostage to his own political whims." For this reason the DA's roadmap argues that Mugabe must play no part in any negotiation or reconstitution of the basic mechanisms around which a new democracy is to be built. They say this is essential to establishing a legitimate solution to Zimbabwe's problems.

"He needs to be offered and accept an exit package; and South Africa in particular and SADC in general need to play a central role in making that a reality," Trollip said.

The party presented its 'Roadmap' in the South African parliament last month, as a response to the MDC's decision to disengage from ZANU PF in the unity government. The roadmap, Trollip explained, is very simple, with only four primary objectives that need to be achieved. These are: an agreement to hold fresh elections, the formation of an interim government, the formation of a new, people driven constitution, and ultimately free, fair, democratic elections.

Trollip said while these steps are obvious, "it is the way in which they are implemented that will determine whether or not Zimbabwe succeeds."