| Submit your comments on this article |
| Africa Subsaharan |
| Mbeki meets Mugabe for talks |
| 2008-05-10 |
| Thabo Mbeki, the South African president, has visited Zimbabwe for talks with the country's president over the political crisis and violence following disputed elections in March. Mbeki met Robert Mugabe on Friday in Harare, as the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) demanded that Mbeki step down as mediator in the crisis. Mbeki is on his third visit on behalf of the Southern African Development Community, and was met at the capital's international airport where he walked hand in hand with Mugabe and was decorated with flower garlands. The talks lasted for nearly four hours, after which Mbeki returned to South Africa. He did not talk to any other government officials or opposition leaders. The MDC, which won the March 29 parliamentary elections and claims its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, also won the presidential vote outright, said that it had not been invited to the talks between Mbeki and Mugabe. They have called for Mbeki to be dismissed as a mediator due to his softy-softly approach towards Mugabe. |
| Posted by:Fred |