SA in last-ditch Zim mediation

2008-06-10 11:10

Johannesburg - South Africa has chaired talks between Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's ruling party and opposition in a new mediation drive ahead of a run-off election this month, a report said on Tuesday.

Local Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi chaired a meeting between representatives of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change and Zanu-PF at the end of May and another was planned this week, Business Day reported.

The newspaper said Mufamadi, assisted by director-general in the presidency Frank Chikane and President Thabo Mbeki's legal advisor Mojanku Gumbi, met the three parties separately to discuss the June 27 run-off, including the possibility of shelving the ballot.

Government of national unity

Business Day said among the suggestions put forward at the talks was the establishment of a Kenya-style government of national unity, with Mugabe as president and MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai as prime minister.

Disputed elections in Kenya led to violence in that country, only resolved when the ruling party and opposition formed a coalition government.

Mbeki was last year handed the task by his peers in the region of mediating between the MDC and Zanu-PF but his efforts have so far made little headway and Tsvangirai has called for him to be stripped of his role.

However the report said that two of Tsvangirai's key lieutenants, MDC Secretary-General Tendai Biti and deputy treasurer Elton Mangoma, attended the meetings in Pretoria.

Zanu-PF was reportedly represented by Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa and Social Welfare Minister Nicholas Goche.

'All that is humanly possible'

Mbeki's spokesperson Mukoni Ratshitanga confirmed that talks had taken place, saying: "That is true, yes", but refused to give further details.

"I can only say yes, the president is the mediator and he will do all that is humanly possible to ensure the success of the mediation process," he told AFP.

However MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa denied that any such talks had taken place, saying there "is no unity government on the cards".

"There can be no talks when there is violence. There can be no talks when there is a storm brewing here," Chamisa told AFP.

There was no immediate comment from the Zimbabwean government.

Levels of violence have steadily increased in the build-up to the run-off election when Tsvangirai is hoping to end Mugabe's 28-year rule of the former British colony.

- AFP