Zim agreement 'a major step'

2008-07-22 07:25

Pretoria - The South African government on Monday congratulated the leadership of Zanu-PF and the two MDC parties for signing an agreement to facilitate talks to resolve the Zimbabwean crisis.

"We are convinced that the Memorandum of Understanding has laid a firm foundation for the Zimbabwean people to start on a new road towards political stability and economic recovery," said Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa.

"We reiterate our view that the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding is a significant and major step forward in the process of dialogue among the Zimbabwean political parties as facilitated by President Thabo Mbeki in his capacity as SADC facilitator."

He added: "Accordingly, we express our gratitude to President Mbeki, for working tirelessly behind the scenes to assist the people of Zimbabwe in their quest for a lasting political and economic solution."

- SAPA