SA hopeful of Zim crisis resolution but still wary of Mbeki’s role
By Alex Bell
23 July 2008

As negotiations aimed at resolving Zimbabwe’s political crisis are set to get underway in South Africa on Thursday, South Africans remain hopeful that the crisis in their neighbouring country will soon be resolved, despite Mbeki’s unsuccessful role as mediator.

The country’s media hailed Monday’s signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with headlines portraying positive messages of hope and even praise for President Thabo Mbeki. “Hope in a handshake” read the front-page headline of the Star on Tuesday, over a picture of Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai together at Monday's signing ceremony in Harare, while Business Day trumpeted a “New Dawn in Zimbabwe as Mugabe accepts deal.”

The agreement was overseen by President Mbeki, who has previously been widely criticised for his refusal to publicly condemn the 84-year-old Mugabe. Mbeki also faced calls from Tsvangirai to be axed as the SADC appointed mediator; a role that has so far yielded no resolution to the ongoing crisis.

The Times said the signing has “finally bought Mbeki a moment in the sun,” adding he now “needs our support as he pushes on with these critical talks.” In an editorial it said, “There is for the first time in more than a decade real hope that Zimbabwe will move forward.” The Star agreed that “credit must go to President Mbeki, who has had to endure scathing criticism over his quiet-diplomacy approach.” However, the same paper said it was too early to celebrate, citing the tense atmosphere between the political party leaders at Monday’s crucial signing of the MOU.

Micel Schnehage, a journalist for Talk Radio 702 in Johannesburg told Newsreel on Wednesday that there has been mixed reaction to Mbeki’s role in facilitating the agreement between the Zimbabwean political parties, and that “some media have been less forgiving of his failure to do more to end the crisis.” She said Mbeki will find it hard “to redeem himself in the face of his recent failures,” and that international pressure will not back off now that an agreement for talks has been reached.

Schnehage said the South African public meanwhile has generally welcomed the signing of the MOU because “they are as desperate to see a change in Zimbabwe as Zimbabweans are.” She added that whatever happens in Zimbabwe “impacts negatively on South Africa and the lives of its citizens.” She also said that many Zimbabweans now living in the country are desperate to return home and “they cannot wait for things to stabilise.”