The situation in Zimbabwe is dire and further talks are needed, government communications head Themba Maseko said in Cape Town on Thursday.
”When elections are held and results are not released two weeks after, [it] is obviously of great concern,” he told a media briefing following a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday. ”The situation is dire and requires further facilitation.”
He added that the Cabinet and Southern African Development Community (SADC) heads of state were satisfied that South Africa had ”contributed substantially” to the peaceful atmosphere in which Zimbabwe’s March 29 elections took place. ”We have gone much further than most parties would have anticipated.”
Maseko said it was ”not helpful” to discuss whether President Thabo Mbeki had said there was ”no crisis” in Zimbabwe, or whether he had been misquoted. What mattered was to make sure everything was being done to facilitate talks and release the election results.
”We will do everything in our power as government to make sure that the results are released as soon as possible,” he said.
Asked about the possible reasons for the delay, Maseko said he did not think anybody knew. It was also too soon to talk about a run-off election as the results were not yet known.
”Should there be a run-off, we will support that observers be allowed to be part of the process,” he added.
The Cabinet also called for the urgent release of the election results and pledged impartiality in helping bring this about. ”South Africa, like the rest of the world, is concerned about the delay in the release of the results and the anxiety that this is generating.”
In line with the mandate accorded by SADC to Mbeki, the government will do all it can to interact impartially with all the relevant players in Zimbabwe to ensure that the election process is concluded speedily and in a manner enjoying the confidence and reflecting the will of Zimbabwe’s people.
”This will set the stage for political stability and economic recovery that Zimbabweans and, indeed, their neighbours yearn for,” Maseko said.
Thus far, Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF party had been a ”willing participant” in talks.
Maseko said that in the government’s view the Zimbabwean elections were transparent. — Sapa