Mugabe makes pre-referendum SA trip
2013-03-08 17:36
Pretoria - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe visited
South Africa for talks with ally Jacob Zuma on Friday, just days before Zimbabweans
vote on a new constitution.
The veteran leader attended a meeting of former
liberation and struggle movements hosted by President Zuma in Pretoria.
Zimbabwe holds a vote on 16 March to adopt or reject a
new constitution and will hold a watershed election due in July.
Both Mugabe and Zuma refused to answer questions on the
constitutional referendum, despite allegations of a mounting crackdown on civic
and rights organisations.
South Africa has long played a pivotal role in Zimbabwe,
but has resisted pressure to publicly condemn rights abuses in the country.
"We share the same values, we went through the same
route," Zuma said after the meeting, flanked by Mugabe.
"We believe that our positions as former liberation
movements need to be consolidated."
The talks took place at Freedom Park, a monument built on
a hill in Pretoria to honour those killed during all of South Africa's wars and
the struggle against apartheid.
- SAPA
