German Chancellor describes crisis in Zimbabwe as ‘disastrous’

By Tichaona Sibanda
5 October 2007

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday described the crisis in Zimbabwe as ‘disastrous’ after talks with South African President Thabo Mbeki in Pretoria.

Briefing Journalists after her meeting with Mbeki, Merkel thanked South Africa for ‘trying to overcome a very unsatisfactory situation in Zimbabwe.’

‘The situation is very difficult and disastrous, which I very clearly said in our conversations,’ Merkel said.

Robert Mugabe’s regime is presiding over the collapse of the country’s economy which has the world’s highest inflation rate at over 10 000 percent, as well as unemployment levels of above 80 percent.

Mbeki told Merkel good progress has been made, negotiations have gone very well and there was a common determination to conclude them as quickly as possible.

‘We are confident that they will reach an agreement on these matters. There is a united voice emerging from the ruling party (Zanu-PF) and opposition (MDC) on what to do to address these political problems,’ Mbeki said.

But opposition parties in South Africa are not convinced with Mbeki’s pronouncements, arguing that the ANC government has grossly underestimated the crisis of Zimbabwean refugees in South Africa.

The African Christian Democratic Party will from the 18th of this month visit refugee centres around the country and assess first hand problems being encountered by millions of Zimbabwe who have fled political persecution across the Limpopo.

Nqobizitha Mlilo, the MDC regional liaison officer based in Johannesburg said the crisis in Zimbabwe has reached a stage where all progressive forces in Africa were beginning to see the reality of the problems in the country.