Mbeki stays Zim facilitator
2008-09-23 21:35
Special Report
The US says "thugs" from Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party killed a supporter of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and hurt several others at a weekend rally.
Johannesburg - President Thabo Mbeki's role as facilitator in Zimbabwe's political dispute will continue as long as he is willing to act in that capacity, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) said on Tuesday.
"It does not need someone to be a sitting president to facilitate in a dispute.
"It does not subtract anything because he has resigned, unless he personally thinks otherwise," said SADC spokesperson Charles Mubita.
"Mbeki was appointed by SADC to facilitate mediation in Zimbabwe and this appointment was based on his knowledge, understanding and acumen of the situation. The status quo remains as it is," Mubita said.
The SADC secretariat was aware that South Africa was the current chair of SADC and stressed that this position was for the country and not for a particular person.
"Whatever leadership the country chooses, the country will continue to chair SADC until August 2009," Mubita said.
He said SADC viewed Mbeki's resignation as a domestic issue.
Imporant role
Meanwhile analyst at the Institute for Security Studies, Prince Mashele, said Africa needed to find another statesman of Mbeki's calibre to carry out his good work for the continent.
"Mbeki played an important role for Africa in facilitating in Zimbabwe, transforming the OAU into the African Union, setting up Nepad and placing Africa on the international agenda.
"His personal qualities and the weight of South Africa worked in favour of the continent and my worry is there could be a reversal of this progress if no one suitable is found," Mashele said.
"I am not sure if whoever succeeds him has his qualities," he said.
Role needs to be collective
Professor Sipho Seepe of the Institute of Race Relations said it was wrong to centralise these issues around Mbeki.
"The role South Africa is playing for the continent needs to be collective and not centralised around an individual.
It was wrong of him not to groom people around him to champion change on the continent.
"What happens now that he is no longer there?" Seepe asked.
Nepad declined to comment on the issue.
"We do not get involved in political issues.
"We are more of a technical body," said co-ordinator for external relations and partnerships, Bankole Adeoye.
- SAPA