President Robert Mugabe presides over a disaster in Zimbabwe but should still be entitled to attend a forthcoming Europe-Africa summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday.
Summing up talks in Pretoria with President Thabo Mbeki, who is a mediator between Zimbabwe’s opposition and Mugabe’s ruling party, Merkel said she made clear her disquiet about the situation across South Africa’s northern border.
”The situation is a very difficult one. It’s a disastrous one, which I very clearly stated in our conversation,” the German leader told a press conference with Mbeki during her first sub-Saharan Africa tour.
She declined to back calls for Mugabe to be barred from a summit between AU and EU leaders in Lisbon in December, which British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has threatened to boycott if the Zimbabwean head of state attends.
”I have said right from the start that the president of the republic of Germany wanted to invite all African countries to that summit and it’s up to countries themselves to decide how they are going to be represented at the table,” said Merkel.
”I also said [to Mbeki] that obviously we will make all our assessments heard. We will also raise all our criticisms. We would do so in the presence of each and everyone and obviously each and everyone has the right to attend.”
The crisis in inflation-ravaged Zimbabwe dominated the talks on the first full day of a three-day visit to South Africa by Merkel, who flew in late on Thursday from Ethiopia, where the AU is based.
United voice
For his part, Mbeki expressed confidence that elections in Zimbabwe next year would be free and fair, saying he had detected a mood of cooperation among all sides in talks that he has hosted in his role as a mediator.
”There was a common determination to conclude them [the talks] as quickly as possible,” said Mbeki.
”We are confident they will reach an agreement on all of these matters so, at least as far as the political challenges are concerned, there was a united voice,” Mbeki told the news briefing.
”Both the ruling party and opposition are committed to making sure the elections are free and fair. Next year after the elections it will be very important they take the same approach with regard to economic challenges that they together evolve a common approach.”
Mbeki was tasked earlier this year by fellow regional leaders with mediating between Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party and the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change after some of its leaders were assaulted by the security forces.
Merkel, meanwhile, also told Mbeki that Germany was ready to help South Africa prepare for the 2010 Soccer World Cup after staging the tournament last year.
”This will open up an opportunity to project a new image for your country and indeed for the continent as a whole,” she said.
”Wherever we can, we would like to help you, we would like to give our contribution. We already cooperate to a certain extent on the construction of stadiums and exchange of experience on how best to cooperate with Fifa,” added Merkel, who was later due to tour the site where the stadium for the 2010 final is under construction.
Mbeki thanked his German counterpart and praised Germany’s hosting of last year’s event.
”We are very fortunate to be holding the Fifa World Cup after Germany. It enables us to draw on your success … We will remain in close contact about this,” he said. — AFP
