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'We have to get Zim talking'
03/04/2007 08:00 - (SA)
London - South African President Thabo Mbeki said in an interview published on Tuesday that he would soon revive talks between Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party and opposition movements to promote free and fair elections next year.
Mbeki ruled out pushing for regime change, however, in the interview with the Financial Times, amid mounting international criticism of Mugabe's government.
Asked if he believed Mugabe, who has led Zimbabwe since it attained independence in 1980, would ever peacefully give up power, Mbeki told the business daily: "I think so. Yes."
"President Mugabe and the leadership of Zanu-PF believe they are running a democratic country."
Mbeki acknowledged, however, that the elections Zimbabwe had held in the past were not without their problems: "You might question whether these elections are genuinely free and fair ... but we have to get the Zimbabweans talking so we do have elections that are free and fair."
The South African leader also ruled out regime change through military intervention, or by cutting off electricity supplies to Zimbabwe, telling the FT: "We don't have a big stick."
His comments came as Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai called on Mbeki to move quickly to defuse the crisis in Zimbabwe, where a general strike is set to ratchet up tensions another notch.
Tsvangirai's plea came while he was in Johannesburg for a medical check after being recently assaulted as fellow opposition activists, arrested and then beaten in custody last week, were to appear in court in Harare.
The inflation rate in Zimbabwe now stands at a staggering 1 730% while around 80% of people are out of work.
- AFP
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Zimbabwe Special Report
