Despite persistent incredulous questioning by opposition parties, President Thabo Mbeki insisted on Thursday that the Zimbabwean government, the two factions of the Movement for Democratic Change and representatives of civil society are engaged in talks that will produce conditions for holding free and fair elections next March in an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity.
Answering questions in the National Assembly, the president said that the political and civil leadership of Zimbabwe ”seem to be convinced that they can and will agree among themselves to ensure free elections, among other things”.
”Let us have the humility,” he said, ”to be led by the people of Zimbabwe.”
He also told MPs: ”We are not going to be involved in any way in any regime change in Zimbabwe. We think it is fundamentally wrong. It isn’t going to happen. We must be clear about that.”
He said that the Zimbabweans told him that the engagement among themselves has happened, is happening and will continue to happen. ”I believe them,” he said, adding to a protesting Cheryllyn Dudley of the African Christian Democratic Party, ”even if you don’t.”
He explained to Mark Lowe — of the Democratic Alliance — that the way to deal with the hunger that is driving many citizens to seek refuge in South Africa is to allow the finance ministers of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to advise the Zimbabwean government, following a plan drawn up by the SADC secretariat. — I-Net Bridge