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DA doubts Mbeki on Zim issues
16/01/2008 14:02 - (SA)
Pretoria - The assurance given by President Thabo Mbeki to Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern of an imminent breakthrough in negotiations between Zanu-PF and the opposition is the latest in a long catalogue of previous assurances, the DA's spokesperson for foreign affairs, Tony Leon said on Wednesday.
"Evidence provided from the President's past handling of the crisis reveals that this could be yet another a false dawn," said Leon in a statement.
This followed Ahern's meeting with Mbeki at Pretoria's Union Buildings on Tuesday where it was announced that Zimbabwean parties engaged in negotiations were close to finalising a policy document that would cover all the important issues needed to ensure a free and fair election.
Referring to an earlier meeting between Mbeki and American President George W Bush, Leon said that Mbeki's assurance that President Robert Mugabe would step down within a year had led to more suffering of the Zimbabwean people.
"With the benefit of hindsight it now seems that the President was simply buying time for Mugabe," he said.
Leon said that for "real" progress to continue in Zimbabwe, Mbeki needed to ensure that for elections to take place, international observer missions be allowed to monitor the elections without any hindrance and that elections should take place after the enactment of mutually agreed constitutional amendments.
" The people of Zimbabwe and South Africa deserve more than another false dawn. If President Mbeki's assurances given yesterday (Tuesday) amount to mere filibustering or vaporising, he will be severely judged by both history and the international and local communities.
"If he has brokered a meaningful breakthrough to resolve the crisis in Zimbabwe then he will have performed a great service to the region and the wider world," said Leon.
- SAPA
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