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Mbeki forms Zim 'task team'
19/07/2008 07:47 - (SA)
Johannesburg - South African President Thabo Mbeki announced plans to work closely with the UN and the African Union as he attempts to mediate a settlement in Zimbabwe.
The plan was applauded by Zimbabwe's opposition, which has criticized Mbeki as biased in favour of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, and called for him to be replaced or work with a second mediator.
Mbeki met in Pretoria on Friday with the top African Union executive, Jean Ping; an official of the Southern African Development Community responsible for regional security issues, George Chikoti; and Haile Menkerios, a special UN envoy on Zimbabwe.
According to his office, Mbeki proposed a special group of SADC, AU and UN representatives be formed with which he would talk "on an ongoing basis." The statement said the parties agreed to set up the so-called reference group.
Mbeki would remain the main mediator trying to find a solution to Zimbabwe's deadly political crisis.
Move welcomed
In a statement released late on Friday, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai welcomed the "appointment of a reference group of eminent Africans who will work with President Mbeki and the main parties in Zimbabwe to find a peaceful negotiated solution to the Zimbabwean crisis."
George Sibotshiwe, a Tsvangirai spokesperson, told The Associated Press that the plan met his group's demands that Mbeki be joined by another mediator. He added it could open the way in coming days to agreement on a framework for power-sharing talks between his Movement for Democratic Change and Mugabe's ZANU-PF party, "because the AU has a role in, and because the United Nations has a role in it as well."
He said he expected Ping and Mbeki to visit Zimbabwe as early as Monday.
SADC appointed Mbeki more than a year ago to mediate between Zimbabwe's political factions.
Since then, Mugabe ignored a previous agreement Mbeki help broker and announced an election date without consulting with the opposition.
Movement for Democratic Change leader Tsvangirai beat Mugabe and two other candidates in that March vote, and his party won control of parliament and local councils.
Coalition government
Official results did not give Tsvangirai the simple majority needed to avoid a presidential run-off. He at first agreed to participate in a second round set for June 27, but pulled out days before the vote because of wide-scale, state-sponsored violence against his supporters. Mugabe went ahead with the vote, keeping Tsvangirai's name on the ballot and declaring himself the overwhelming winner.
Mbeki's mediation efforts are now aimed at forming a coalition government. Both the opposition and Mugabe's party say they are open to sharing power. But while Zanu-PF says Mugabe should lead any coalition, Tsvangirai's party insists Mugabe should have no role in the country's political future.
In his statement on Friday, Tsvangirai noted it was the 90th birthday of South Africa's first black president, Nelson Mandela, who is looked to across Africa and beyond for leadership.
"On this day where the world celebrates the iconic leadership of Nelson Mandela - his heroic vision, tolerance, forgiveness and humility - let us all set our sights on ending our own leadership crisis - also with vision, tolerance, forgiveness and humility," Tsvangirai said.
- SAPA
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Zimbabwe Special Report
