Representatives of Zimbabwe's government and main opposition party are holding talks to try to ease the political crisis that reached new heights this year with the arrest and torture of opposition leaders, officials confirmed yesterday. The talks, held under South African auspices, started at the weekend in the South African capital, Pretoria. "All we can confirm at this stage is that there are talks," said George Sibotshiwe, a South Africa-based spokesman for Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).The Zimbabwe government was represented by the justice minister, Patrick Chinamasa, and the labour and social welfare minister, Nicholas Goche, Zimbabwe state radio said. Tendai Biti and Welshman Ncube were representing the two factions of the divided MDC.
Mr Sibotshiwe said the MDC respected South Africa's request for a media blackout. He would not say how long the negotiations would last, but the idea was to reach an undisclosed "milestone". He said that the South African president, Thabo Mbeki, was expected to make a statement about progress next week, ahead of the end of June deadline to report back to the Southern African Development Community, which appointed Mr Mbeki as mediator earlier this year.
Mr Mbeki has consistently espoused quiet diplomacy, saying that criticism from the west and sanctions have worsened Zimbabwe's problems. He has said that Zimbabweans themselves must find the solution.
Inflation in Zimbabwe is 3,714%, and the UN said last week that a third of the country's 12 million population will be dependent on food aid by the end of the year because of drought.