SA’s opposition calls on Mbeki to act quickly over Zimbabwe crisis

By Tichaona Sibanda
21 August 2007

South Africa’s opposition parties on Tuesday united to deliver a statement in parliament calling on President Thabo Mbeki to move rapidly to defuse the escalating political crisis in Zimbabwe.

Mbeki’s parliamentary opponents in South Africa have on many occasions accused him for failing to publicly criticise Robert Mugabe. But Mbeki has insisted on his policy of ‘quiet diplomacy’ which has been described as a failure by many analysts.

Led by the Independent Democrats, the opposition parties said it is critical that President Mbeki act quickly and decisively to halt the suffering of millions of Zimbabweans.

Patricia de Lille, leader of the Independent Democrats, delivered the statement in Cape Town and it was immediately supported by the Democratic alliance, the Inkatha freedom party, United Democratic movement, African Christian Democratic party and the Pan Africanist Congress.

The parliamentary statement also called on Mbeki not to be averse to the proposal raised by the MDC that SADC broaden the mediation talks to include two former Presidents from the SADC bloc or two of its serving Presidents.

Mbeki was in April appointed by fellow Southern African leaders to act as a mediator between the ruling Zanu-PF and the two factions of the MDC. Contrary to what has been reported, the MDC told Newsreel that SADC leaders meeting in Lusaka, Zambia last week conceded the mediation talks were not moving as fast as they wished.

It was widely reported that the Southern African leaders failed last week Friday to heed calls for strong action against Robert Mugabe saying the problems in the country were ‘exaggerated.’. But the MDC said the closed door meeting was also very critical of Mugabe’s failure to stop human rights abuses.

Nqobizitha Mlilo, the political liaison officer in the regional office of the Tsvangirai led MDC in Johannesburg, said he held a meeting Tuesday with the parliamentary caucus of the Independent Democrats in Cape Town. Mlilo spent the whole of last week in Lusaka presenting the Zimbabwe issue to SADC diplomats.

‘Fortunately they (Independent Democrats) have been following the Zimbabwe situation and were quite surprised with the stance taken by the SADC leaders. They were also quite happy to raise the issue of our concerns in parliament and they promised us they will keep up the pressure on President Mbeki to move fast,’ Mlilo said.