Mbeki finally goes to Zim

[nairiporter]

Zimbabwe: President Mugabe in Talks With Mbeki
http://allafrica.com/stories/200806190001.html

SOUTH African President Thabo Mbeki met with President Robert Mugabe and the opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Wednesday amid concerns about rising political violence in the country a week before the crucial run-off presidential election.\

The meeting between President Mbeki, the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) designated mediator on Zimbabwe, and President Mugabe continued late into the evening.

There was no word on the progress that had been made.

Mbeki has been criticized for what critics call his 'quiet diplomatic' approach towards Zimbabwe and has been under pressure from groups in South Africa and the international community to take a hard-line stance towards the southern African country. President Mbeki has dismissed this call saying Zimbabwe is not a province of South Africa and should be left to run its own affairs.

President Mbeki remained tight-lipped as he left President Mugabe's official residence in the second biggest city, Bulawayo -- where the meeting was held -- to spend the rest of his 66th birthday at home in South Africa.

The two leaders spent three-and-half hours in talks.

President Mugabe was campaigning in the second largest city.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) party, which has written a letter to President Mbeki saying they no longer feel he should mediate in the Zimbabwean situation, confirmed their leader met President Mbeki earlier Wednesday in Harare, but declined to provide more details.

Together with his ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mlungisi Makhalima they are believed to have held closed-door sessions with the MDC-T leader during a stopover in the capital.

It is understood that President Mbeki's priority was to press for the release of Tendai Biti, the secretary general of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, who has been in custody for a week and who faces treason, among other, charges.

Unconfirmed sources in Pretoria said Mbeki was also making a last ditch attempt to convince both President Mugabe and Tsvangirai to at least meet, if not agree to a government of national unity.

Both leaders have indicated previously that a GNU was out of the question before the run-off election provided for in the constitution of Zimbabwe.

The opposition MDC-T has said they will only discuss a GNU if President Mugabe stepped down and give way to Tsvangirai to become president -- a move described by the ruling party as 'nonsense'.

Presidential spokesperson George Charamba said President Mbeki had come to make an appraisal of the election preparations.

He said President Mbeki had "come in the context of the assignment which Sadc heads of state gave him in Tanzania" last year.

"After all, it is Sadc that is ultimately responsible for the political process in Zimbabwe," said Charamba.