Mbeki denies blaming Britain

2007-08-31 15:57

Johannesburg - South Africa has denied it blamed Britain for Zimbabwe's isolation in a report prepared for a regional summit earlier this month.

The office of President Thabo Mbeki denied that the government produced a report on Zimbabwe critical of Britain before Mbeki briefed leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on his mediation efforts in mid-August.

"The Presidency wishes to make it clear that it is not aware of such a report and that if it exists, it was not authored by the Government of the Republic of South Africa," it said.

"Government once again categorically rejects the allegation that President Mbeki had blamed the British government for the problems in Zimbabwe. This is simply not true," the statement added.

Undermining talks?

The report, obtained by media ahead of the summit, blamed Zimbabwe's former colonial power Britain for Harare's isolation by the West and said London was trying to undermine talks between President Robert Mugabe's government and the opposition.

SADC asked Mbeki to mediate talks between Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF party and the main Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) opposition party in March.

Heads of state described a briefing to the SADC summit by Mbeki as positive and indicated some progress was made in mediation.

Mugabe blames Western sanctions for hyper-inflation, food shortages and an economic crisis in the formerly prosperous southern African nation.

Critics say Mugabe has destroyed the economy with his controversial policy of farm seizures.

The SADC summit ended without any call on Mugabe to enact reforms

- Reuters