President Mbeki leads Zimbabwe talks

HARARE – South African President Thabo Mbeki arrived in Zimbabwe yesterday, where he is expected to meet with President Robert Mugabe and the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change.

Mbeki would be in the country for a few hours before continuing to Uganda for the Commonwealth summit, his office said on Wednesday. “He will make a stopover in Zimbabwe for consultations with the political leadership in Zimbabwe, both (President Robert Mugabe’s) Zanu-PF and the two factions of the MDC,” presidential spokesman Mukoni Ratshitanga told AFP.The consultations were “in relation to the mandate that he was given by the Southern African Development Community (SADC)to facilitate dialogue between political leadership.”Mbeki, who has refused to publicly criticise Mugabe, was tasked by fellow leaders in the SADC in March with mediating an end to the stand-off between the government and opposition in Harare.Mugabe will not attend the Uganda summit as Zimbabwe is no longer part of the Commonwealth, which suspended its membership in 2002 on charges of election rigging and human rights abuses.Nampa-AFP”He will make a stopover in Zimbabwe for consultations with the political leadership in Zimbabwe, both (President Robert Mugabe’s) Zanu-PF and the two factions of the MDC,” presidential spokesman Mukoni Ratshitanga told AFP.The consultations were “in relation to the mandate that he was given by the Southern African Development Community (SADC)to facilitate dialogue between political leadership.”Mbeki, who has refused to publicly criticise Mugabe, was tasked by fellow leaders in the SADC in March with mediating an end to the stand-off between the government and opposition in Harare.Mugabe will not attend the Uganda summit as Zimbabwe is no longer part of the Commonwealth, which suspended its membership in 2002 on charges of election rigging and human rights abuses.Nampa-AFP