Zimbabwe will solve its problems quickly once formal negotiations get underway in that country, President Thabo Mbeki said on Thursday.
He said the ruling Zanu-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change would go into formal talks with an agenda currently being set in informal negotiations.
He said one had reason to believe that formal talks would bring a speedy political solution in Zimbabwe.
Mbeki told reporters in Pietermaritzburg such negotiations were expected to get underway soon as both sides were committed to this.
The president was on the campaign trail for the African National Congress, wooing KwaZulu-Natal voters with a view to the upcoming general election.
He said one issue in the current Zimbabwean talks was the timing of parliamentary and presidential elections. At present, these two polls were not being held concurrently. Both camps wanted the two elections to take place at the same time.
Mbeki was critical of South Africans insisting on an immediate resolution of Zimbabwe’s political and economic problems.
Mbeki said Palestine and Northern Island had been riddled with conflict for decades.
”Palestine has had problems since the 1940s but nobody complains,” he said.
” … also what about Northern Island? Nobody complains that Tony Blair’s diplomacy is not working. They speak about my quiet diplomacy (towards Zimbabwe), but no diplomacy is loud.”
He said Zimbabwe was not a province of South Africa.
”(Zimbabwean) President (Robert) Mugabe does not take instructions from me. I discuss (matters) with them as a neighbour,” Mbeki said. – Sapa