Mbeki claims SADC talks resolved Zimbabwe’s election dispute

By Lance Guma
08 February 2008

South African President Thabo Mbeki on Friday claimed both Zanu PF and the MDC had managed to resolve their major differences over a framework for next month’s election. Speaking during his annual state of the nation address Mbeki said the parties involved had reached full agreement, ‘on all matters relating to the substantive matters the parties had to address. These include issues relating to the constitution, security, media and electoral laws, and other matters that have been in contention for many years.’ This contradicts the facts on the ground because despite the opposition reluctantly agreeing to contest the March 29th election they have described the talks as a complete failure.

The MDC insisted on a new constitution before the election but Mugabe refused to give in to those demands and instead went ahead to announce an election day before the conclusion of the talks. This was seen as a slap in the face for Mbeki who had to fly into Zimbabwe at one point to try and salvage the process. This week Mbeki was eager to gloss over his failure to resolve the crisis, claiming that although there was dispute over ‘the timing and the manner of enactment’ of the constitution’ it was a ‘procedural matter.’ He also used the signing of Constitutional Amendment number 18, by both Zanu PF and the MDC, as a victory for the process. ‘The relevant laws in this regard have already been approved by parliament, including the necessary constitutional amendments.’

Mbeki was eager to emphasize that the mediation would continue but his optimism contrasted sharply with MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa’s comment that the ‘dialogue was already in the mortuary.’ Sidney Masamvu, the Southern African analyst for the International Crisis Group, said Mbeki was trying to save his legacy from the ghost of having failed to resolve the crisis. The Zimbabwe talks had presented the last throw of the dice for him in terms of leaving a lasting legacy, given his failures on the domestic front. According to Masamvu the speech on Friday was a desperate bid to sanitize what has been an embarrassing conclusion to the SADC talks.