Mbeki calls for SADC observers

2005-02-14 11:51

Johannesburg - The Southern African Development Community (SADC) observers should go to Zimbabwe soon to assist that country and to ensure that a proper climate is created for next month's elections, President Thabo Mbeki said on Sunday.

"I think we should send SADC as soon as it is possible to go there and observe, to be able to intervene, to help, to create a situation for fair elections," he said in an interview on SABC.

The Zimbabwe government has failed to give the necessary written invitation to the SADC delegation, which consists of lawyers from South Africa, Namibia and Lesotho.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is apparently scared that the team would find conditions that did not comply with the SADC guidelines for free and fair elections.

But Mbeki said, following a discussing he had with Mugabe, he was sure that a SADC delegation would not face any obstacle or fall victim to intimidation when going to Zimbabwe.

When asked about access to rights like broadcasting by the contesting parties, Mbeki said Mugabe had promised that all parties would have fair access to those.

"The Zim government has indeed agreed that they (the political parties) will have access because it is included as a guideline of SADC, but we also have to work with the Zimbabwe government".

"For this reason that SADC should go there because if there is no access (to all the rights), they should ask why there is no access for other parties."

He said there has been continuous discussions with both the opposition Movement for Democratic Change and the ruling Zanu-PF party.

- SAPA