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Bob to step down from Zanu-PF leadership?
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe is ready to relinquish the Zanu PF leadership in December or to hand over power to a transitional authority if a deal is reached with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), it was heard this week.
Another tease. He's waiting to see what happens with Chuck...
Sources said Mugabe assured South African President Thabo Mbeki that he could quit the Zanu PF leadership in December during the party's annual conference or formally announce to his party to start looking for a successor ahead of the congress next year. Mugabe gave Mbeki these assurances ahead of United States President George Bush's first visit to Africa early this month. Mugabe also gave the same promises to Mbeki's deputy Jacob Zuma during an Aids conference in Lesotho a few days before Bush arrived in South Africa. Zuma has been working on the Zimbabwe issue of late. On June 4 he met with Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon and his delegation at Tuynhuys in Cape Town to discuss Zimbabwe. Zuma and Leon agreed the situation could only be resolved through dialogue between the MDC and Zanu PF. Sources said Mugabe met with Zuma in Lesotho to reaffirm the position he had already given to Mbeki. Mugabe apparently spoke to Mbeki before and after the Bush visit and during the African Union meeting in Mozambique. Mbeki met with Bush in Pretoria on July 9 where he reportedly told his counterpart that Mugabe had indicated his willingness to retire. However, Mbeki, who recently said Zanu PF was engaged in "leadership renewal" and that talks between Zanu PF and MDC were on, last week denied this. "There is no such thing," he said. "I don't know where that comes from. There was no discussion at all about anybody stepping down."
"Nope. Nope. Never happened."

Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2003-07-26
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=16915