'We won't tell Mugabe to quit'

2008-04-10 15:14

Pretoria - South Africa rejected on Thursday any notion it would call on President Robert Mugabe to quit after Zimbabwe's opposition called on regional powers to do so.

"We are not a government who can ask other presidents to step down," Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad told journalists in Pretoria.

"Nobody will tell us when our president will step down and we will never ever allow a situation that we ask other presidents to step down. On what basis would we do that? Zimbabwe is not a province of South Africa."

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has claimed outright victory in Zimbabwe's March 29 presidential election, but Mugabe and his ruling Zanu-PF have said a run-off is needed.

As the official announcement seems to be interminably delayed amid legal wrangling and demands for a recount, Tsvangirai is touring the region urging southern African leaders to put greater pressure on Mugabe.

His Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has called on leaders meeting in Zambia on Saturday to demand that Mugabe - who has ruled Zimbabwe solidly since independence from Britain in 1980 - stand down.

President Thabo Mbeki has come under fire for his muted response to the crisis, but Pahad said there were unrealistic expectations of the country's role.

"I think people are over-estimating what South Africa can do. We are not a hegemonistic power in the region that we can on a whim impose our will."

Tsvangirai made South Africa his first port of call after claiming victory in the poll and met on Monday with ANC President Jacob Zuma while Mbeki was away in Europe.

A week after the polls, Mbeki urged "patience" and described the situation in Zimbabwe as "manageable", angering the opposition.

Zuma has condemned the delay in releasing the results and on the eve of the poll said Zimbabwe was ready for change.

Mbeki's office said on Thursday he would be willing to meet Tsvangirai as soon as possible.

"As soon as we have a formal request we will meet with him at his earliest convenience, as the president would any other Zimbabwean leader," a Mbeki spokesperson told Sapa.

- AFP