SA lays Zim crisis at MDC door

2007-03-20 20:24

Donwald Pressly

Cape Town - The serious conflict in Zimbabwe has arisen because of the perception by the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) that recent elections in Zimbabwe were not free and fair, said a South African government spokesperson, Themba Maseko, on Tuesday.

"It think it is now public record that there were elections in Zimbabwe... at the end of those elections, the MDC were of the view that those elections were not free and fair.

"Based on the view of the MDC, we then had a situation in Zimbabwe where there was serious conflict arising out of the premise taken by the MDC that the elections were not free and fair."

It, however, was the position of the South African government that the recent elections had been free and fair, he noted.

The answer was in reply to a question from a journalist - at a media briefing after Tuesday's cabinet meeting in Cape Town - as to what the government's analysis of the key problem was in neighbouring Zimbabwe.

Threat to regional security?

"We are of the view of the different parties in Zimbabwe... there is still a need for the parties to say these are our problems as Zimbabweans and this is how we should solve them," he said, calling for dialogue between the Zimbabwean government and opposition parties.

Asked whether the situation in Zimbabwe was not seen as a threat to regional security - even though South Africa had told the United Nations the situation was not a threat to international security - Maseko said there was "no such discussion" in the cabinet.

Asked if the South African government should not take the lead and get Zanu-PF and the Movement for Democratic Change to gather for peace talks in South Africa, he said that it was not easy to "drag protagonists" to sit around a table.

South Africa had been successful in other parts of Africa - such as the Democratic Republic of Congo - because the government and opposition both had been willing to sit at such a table.

Asked if he was aware if the South African ambassador to Zimbabwe had tried to talk to parties involved in the conflict in Zimbabwe, he said he was not aware of the envoy's activities in this regard.

Cabinet 'is concerned'

In the official cabinet statement, the following mention was made of Zimbabwe: "(The) cabinet, once again, expressed its concerns about the deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe and reaffirmed the government position, as recently stated by the deputy minister of foreign affairs, that only dialogue among the main political and economic protagonists can help bring about a lasting solution to the current political and economic challenges facing Zimbabwe.

"As stated previously, South Africa is ready to provide whatever assistance is required in bringing about a peaceful and lasting solution to the situation in Zimbabwe."

- I-Net Bridge (News24)