Mbeki, Annan and Zimbabwe issue conflicting statements on alleged UN exit plan for Mugabe

By Tererai Karimakwenda
25 May 2006

Statements about Zimbabwe made by South Africa’s president in London have been contradicted by UN officials and by representatives of the Mugabe regime. Speaking at a joint press conference with Tony Blair on Wednesday president Thabo Mbeki said: "I welcome the fact that the United Nations secretary general has indicated that he wishes to be involved in this. He will provide, I know, a wholly independent assessment of the situation there.” Mbeki said he was awaiting the outcome of Kofi Annan’s intervention in Zimbabwe, and that it would not be productive to suggest any resolution of the Zimbabwe crisis while Annan pursued his initiative. The South African president, who has been criticised for his policy of “quiet diplomacy” on Zimbabwe, also said the Zimbabwean government had agreed to Annan's visit.
But back in Zimbabwe the government is reported to have uninvited the UN secretary general. Mugabe's spokesman, George Charamba told the state-run Herald newspaper that the invitation to Annan which was extended during the government's Operation Murambatsvina had expired. And according to a Reuters report, the deputy minister of information Bright Matonga said: “I am unaware of any UN intervention on Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is not a UN issue.”
Several news sites and publications had reported that UN secretary general Kofi Annan engineered a plan for Mugabe’s exit that would involve international aid for Zimbabwe. Mugabe would be replaced by a transitional government made up of opposition and Zanu PF officials. The reports said this would be Kofi Annan’s final victory before retiring in December. In another contradiction, U.N. undersecretary-general for political affairs Ibrahim Gambari told reporters he knew nothing about a plan for Mugabe’s exit which involved international assistance. Gambari said: “... I think it is premature to talk about any package, and certainly even more premature to talk about that package including the possible departure of President Mugabe,"
So again it appears that South Africa and the United Nations have no definite plan for Zimbabwe or Robert Mugabe. Mbeki’s statements relegate Annan as the “point man” on Zimbabwe, a position Mbeki was appointed to by US president George Bush last year. And the Mugabe regime has withdrawn its welcome carpet for Kofi Annan.