HARARE, July 6 (Xinhua) --
Zimbabwean opposition MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai snubbed mediation efforts
by South African President Thabo Mbeki when he, at the last minute, failed to
turn up for a meeting at Zimbabwe House, where he was scheduled to meet
President Mugabe on Saturday, The Sunday Mail reported.
This was despite the fact that Tsvangirai had, on
about four occasions, asked Mbeki to facilitate a meeting between him and Mugabe
and had given assurance to the SA leader that he would attend Saturday's
meeting.
Zimbabwe's opposition leader of Movement
for Democratic Change (MDC) Morgan Tsvangirai speaks to a group of
villagers in Nkayi, 185 km (115 miles) east of Bulawayo June 7, 2008.
(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
However, the president of the other MDC formation,
Arthur Mutambara, his secretary-general Welshman Ncube and his deputy Priscilla
Misihairabwi-Mushonga attended the meeting.
Zimbabwean Vice-President Joice Mujuru also attended
the meeting together with the Zanu-PF representatives to the inter-party talks,
Patrick Chinamasa and Nicholas Goche.
Sources privy to the details of the meeting on
Saturday told The Sunday Mail that Tsvangirai had been asking Mbeki to
facilitate a meeting with President Mugabe even before the March 29 harmonized
elections.
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe (1st
R) adjusts his earphone while attending the 11th Ordinary Session of the
Assembly of the African Union (AU) in the Sharm El-Sheikh International
Congress Center in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, June 30, 2008. (Xinhua
Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
The SA leader then approached Mugabe, who agreed to
meet the opposition leader, but the meeting could not take place earlier due to
other commitments.
It is understood that Mbeki spoke to Tsvangirai last
Thursday, when they agreed that the meeting should take place on Saturday at
Zimbabwe House.
Last Friday, Mbeki then dispatched his Minister of
Local Government and Housing, Sydney Mufumadi, together with another government
official to Harare to make preparations for the meeting.
On arrival in Zimbabwe, Mufumadi met Mugabe who gave
him the commitment that he would attend the meeting. The SA minister then spoke
to Ncube and Tsvangirai, who both agreed that they would attend the meeting.
However, Tsvangirai was reportedly against the idea
that the negotiators to the talks (Chinamasa, Goche, Ncube) should attend the
meeting, saying he wanted the meeting to be attended by Mugabe, Mbeki and
Mutambara only.
The MDC-T leader also wanted an expanded mediation
team that would include representatives seconded by the African Union (AU).
However, during the summit that was recently held in
Egypt, the AU did not pass a resolution calling for the expansion of the
mediation team. Instead, the AU commended the sterling efforts being made by
President Mbeki and recommended that the mediation efforts should be continued.
Despite the concerns, Tsvangirai gave Mufamadi the
assurance that he would attend the meeting and it was agreed that they would
meet at the residence of the SA Ambassador to Zimbabwe, from where they would
all depart to Zimbabwe House on Saturday afternoon.
Tsvangirai's aides even went to the residence on
Saturday without their boss and informed the SA minister that the meeting should
be postponed.
This was despite the fact that Mbeki was already on
his way to Harare. Mufumadi then phoned Tsvangirai who told him that he had
spoken to the AU Commission chairperson Jean Ping, and was advised that the
meeting could not take place unless the mediation team was expanded.
Tsvangirai reportedly said the meeting should not
proceed and hung up the phone before Mufumadi could respond. And so the meeting
went ahead on Saturday without the MDC-T leader.
It is understood that during the meeting, Mbeki
reiterated the position that the AU did not call for the expansion of the
mediation team, adding that he would talk to the AU chairman, Jakaya Kikwete,
and Ping, whom he was going to meet during the G8 Summit in Japan.
During the AU summit in Egypt, Kikwete asked all
leaders about three times whether they wanted the Zimbabwean issue to be handled
by the SADC-appointed mediator, President Mbeki, and they all agreed.
The SA leader then gave assurances that he would ask
Ping to explain to Tsvangirai that there was no AU resolution calling for the
expansion of the mediation team.
By refusing to attend Saturday's meeting, Tsvangirai
is effectively going against the AU and SADC leaders' resolutions.
Speaking during the meeting, Mutambara expressed his
party's "unequivocal commitment to a political settlement" in the country.
Mutambara bemoaned the absence of the MDC-T representatives but added that his
party would participate in the negotiations because it is a separate entity from
the MDC-T.
He went on to call for a constitution that is
agreeable to all parties, a democratic culture, a 20 to 30-year economic vision
and the establishment of "a generational agenda". He said his party supports the
land reform exercise and also supports pan-Africanism.
President Mugabe said Mutambara's thoughts should
inform the discussions, adding that indeed the country needs one vision but "the
thinking of the vision should be of our own". "Let us be the source of ideas
that others must borrow," said the president.
Mugabe together with his South African counterpart
then asked Mutambara to talk to Tsvangirai so that "he can start thinking
independently".
Mugabe said on Friday night he received many calls
from church leaders, political figures and even his relatives, saying Tsvangirai
was ready for talks "but he has now shifted".
The president said: "Some people would want to do
harm to us. Big powers envy our resources. The British have not forgiven us for
taking land from their children, but there are others with their own agenda.
Please let us be careful and guard against these thieves and robbers."
He said Mbeki had come all the way from his country
to "help us find solutions to our problems and he is not even paid for that.
What has happened today is a "show of utter disrespect. To say sorry to him is
not enough."
Ncube then suggested that while Mbeki goes to attend
the G8 Summit, the negotiators should continue meeting. The two presidents
agreed and so the negotiators will continue meeting this week.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, Mbeki said
on Friday all political leaders had agreed to meet so that they would come up
with a framework for the negotiations, but Tsvangirai changed his mind at the
last minute.
Mbeki said: "It has been agreed by the Zimbabwean
political leadership here that we need to move forward; to resume the process of
negotiations so that we respond to the political situation in the country. We
have agreed among ourselves that we should proceed and that the MDC formation
led by Morgan Tsvangirai should be part of the process."
He also revealed that Tsvangirai had on many
occasions requested him to facilitate a meeting with President Mugabe.
Chinamasa said he hoped that the MDC-T would be part
of the negotiations, adding that events in the next few weeks will show whether
or not Tsvangirai is trying to turn himself into a "Zimbabwean Savimbi".
Mutambara expressed his party's commitment to the
negotiations, adding that for the talks to be a success, the MDC-T should also
be part of the process.
President Mbeki left Harare for South Africa en-route
to Japan where he will attend the G8 Summit.
HARARE, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean
opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said on Wednesday it was
committed to negotiations with the ruling Zanu PF party to find a lasting
solution to the challenges facing Zimbabwe.
Addressing a press conference in Harare on the just
ended African Union summit held in Egypt, the MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai told
journalists that talks were the only way forward to solve differences between
the opposition and the ruling Zanu PF. Full story
JOHANNESBURG, July 6 (Xinhua) -- The crisis in
Zimbabwe is on the agenda of talks between visiting British Foreign Secretary
David Miliband and his South African counterpart, Nkosazan Dlamini Zuma, a
statement said Sunday.
Miliband arrived on Sunday in the African country for
the 8th session of the SA-UK Bilateral Forum, scheduled on July 8 in Pretoria,
the foreign affairs department statement said. Full story
HARARE, July 5 (Xinhua) -- South
African President Thabo Mbeki arrived in Zimbabwe on Saturday and was expected
to hold talks with President Robert Mugabe, the state-run New Ziana reported.
The Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) has
appointed the South African leader as mediator in the inter-party political
dialogue between the government and the opposition. Full story
