'Good progress made in Zim'

2008-01-18 11:35

Harare - President Thabo Mbeki said on Thursday that "very good progress" had been made in efforts to reconcile Zimbabwe's opposition with President Robert Mugabe's government.

"It (the visit) was really to update as it were. So, we are going back to continue that process (of reconciliation). It is really working ... very good progress. I think there is lot of light at the end, but I am not sure whether it is a tunnel," said Mbeki after a meeting with Mugabe.

He met separately with Mugabe and the leaders of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

Mbeki was tasked last March by fellow leaders of the Southern African Development Community with mediating between the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) and the MDC after several opposition leaders were beaten up by the security services.

MDC seeks election delay

On the presidential and parliamentary polls expected to be held in March, Mbeki said: "Everybody is conscious of the elections that are coming in March. But they are also conscious of the tasks that have to be carried out."

Zimbabwe's opposition had earlier on Thursday urged Mbeki to try and persuade Mugabe to delay the elections, opposition and government sources said.

Mbeki held some hours of talks with Mugabe at the state house in Harare before then meeting with officials from the MDC at the South African embassy, said reports.

Insiders at the talks said the MDC had lobbied for the joint presidential and parliamentary elections to be held back.

"The opposition is trying to get President Mbeki to persuade President Mugabe to postpone the poll, but I doubt if the president (Mugabe) will agree to this," a Zimbabwean government official said.

Meanwhile, an MDC official confirmed the party did not want the elections to be held before a new constitution was put in place, something for which Mugabe had shown little enthusiasm.

He said: "The main issue which we feel has to be addressed is the issue of the constitution, then we can start talking about the elections.

"We would be happy to have the elections any time after March, but we feel March is too early."

Mugabe, 83, who had ruled the former British colony since independence in 1980, has yet to set a date for the elections when he will seek a sixth term at the helm of the country grappling with the world's highest rate of inflation.

Neither Mugabe nor the opposition leaders spoke with journalists after their meetings with Mbeki.

- AFP