Posted on 23-1-2004

Mugabe to enter crisis talks with opposition

Robert Mugabe, the president of Zimbabwe, has agreed to enter formal negotiations with opposition politicians aimed at ending the country's long-running political and economic crisis, his South African counterpart, Thabo Mbeki, said today.
"I am happy to say that in the end ... they have agreed that they will now go into formal negotiations," Mr Mbeki told a joint press conference with the visiting German chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, adding that Pretoria had been "engaging both sides for a very long time".

Mr Schröder said that South Africa had "not been as outspoken and as hard as one might have expected" with Zimbabwe.

"I made myself very clear as far as the unacceptability of that regime is concerned, especially the political practices of that regime," Mr Schröder said after a two-hour meeting with Mr Mbeki, who responded that "strong statements cannot be an aim in itself".

"Our task is to see what we can contribute to make sure that the situation is changed as quickly as possible for the better," Mr Mbeki said.

Government and opposition officials in Zimbabwe could not immediately be reached for comment. Mr Mbeki's policy of "quiet diplomacy" toward Zimbabwe has earned him criticism at home and abroad. Last month he protested a decision to prolong Zimbabwe's suspension from the Commonwealth as undemocratic and unhelpful, while brushing off concerns about human rights abuses in the country.

Mr Mugabe withdrew his country from the Commonwealth in protest.

Zimbabwe faces its worst political and economic crisis since independence in 1980, with soaring inflation and acute shortages of food, fuel and essential goods. Mr Mugabe has also stepped up a crackdown on dissent, arresting opposition leaders and journalists.

Mr Mbeki said he had secured the commitment to begin talks during a one-day visit to Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, last month, when he met separately with Mr Mugabe and opposition leaders. Talks between Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF party and the opposition broke down last year after the president demanded that the opposition recognise his disputed victory in the country's March 2002 presidential election.