Mbeki finally admits there is a crisis in Zimbabwe
By Tichaona Sibanda
11 June 2008

South African President Thabo Mbeki finally acknowledged there is a crisis in Zimbabwe, when he told MP’s in Johannesburg on Wednesday that violence in the country was a cause for ‘serious concern.’
Mbeki, who is also the SADC bloc’s chief mediator on Zimbabwe, has always downplayed the crisis in the country, even telling journalists in April following the disputed harmonized elections that ‘there was no crisis’ in Zimbabwe.

But on Wednesday, with the increase of political abductions and killings in the country, Mbeki was forced to admit that the violence and disruption of electoral activities needed to be addressed urgently.
‘At the moment we are doing whatever we can to ensure that we do not experience major problems in the presidential second-round elections, set for June 27,’ Mbeki said.

Elias Mudzuri, the MDC’s organising secretary and MP elect for Warren Park, welcomed Mbeki statement but believes he could have done more by calling on Robert Mugabe to order his troops back into the barracks.

Soldiers, with the help of Zanu-PF militias and state security agents, are being blamed for coordinating the crackdown on the supporters of the MDC. The Joint Operations Command, a gathering of security and armed forces chiefs currently in charge of the country, unleashed the armed soldiers after it emerged that Mugabe and Zanu-PF had lost the March elections.

Speaking about Mbeki’s statement, Mudzuri said: ‘At this moment in time, we cannot force him but appeal to his conscience that the person who is suffering under his mediation is the common man on the street. As a result of the absence of observers many people have unnecessarily lost their lives.’
He added; ‘If he delays by another day to send observers, he’s doing more harm than good to all Zimbabweans because we cannot recover the lives of people dying, we cannot recover the limbs of those maimed.’

Glen Mpani, regional coordinator for the Cape Town based ‘Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation’ said Mbeki should break his bond with Mugabe and allow the crisis in Zimbabwe to be discussed at the highest level.

Mpani said Mbeki could no longer pretend all was well in Zimbabwe when the economic and political situation was deteriorating at an alarming rate. He accused Mbeki of being complicit in protecting Mugabe throughout his entire presidency, saying if he had spoken out against Zanu-PF’s human rights abuses years back, the situation could have been different .

‘He cannot say violence in Zimbabwe is of serious concern when at the same time he’s playing a leading role in blocking the same issue from being discussed at the United Nations. When people say Mbeki is in bed with Mugabe this is what they mean,’ Mpani said.