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Mbeki in Harare to revive stalled talks
South African President Thabo Mbeki was holding new talks aimed at resolving Zimbabwe's political crisis on Monday, a day after the opposition leader questioned whether Mbeki was the right mediator for the job.
- Agencies
- Published: 23:49 September 8, 2008
Harare: South African President Thabo Mbeki was holding new talks aimed at resolving Zimbabwe's political crisis on Monday, a day after the opposition leader questioned whether Mbeki was the right mediator for the job.
The South African leader arrived yesterday in Harare and went almost immediately into a meeting with President Robert Mugabe at a Harare hotel.
Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change, or MDC, did not attend the initial meeting. But the South African Government said in a statement earlier that Mbeki would meet both Mugabe and opposition leaders.
Power-sharing
Mbeki has led power-sharing negotiations since July, but talks have stalled over whether Mugabe or Tsvangirai should have the top position in a unity government.
Tsvangirai on Sunday questioned whether Mbeki was the right mediator.
Tsvangirai says he should be head of government and Mugabe should be head of state - a largely ceremonial position.
Mugabe, though, appears unwilling to surrender much of the power he has wielded since independence from Britain in 1980.
In his first major speech since negotiations began, Tsvangirai said at a party rally on Sunday that Mugabe should accept a ceremonial presidency or "let's go for elections under international supervision and see who will carry the day."
"We should not be pushed into a deal," Tsvangirai said.
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