The situation in Zimbabwe is dire. The world has known this for quite some time, and it’s become even more apparent since the March 29 elections in that country, for which presidential election results are still conspicuously absent.
However, President Thabo Mbeki emerged from an all-too-friendly meeting with Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe last weekend — ahead of the Southern African Development Community emergency meeting on Zimbabwe — and said there was no crisis. Reports of this remark sped around the world and drew condemnation all round.
Since then, ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States have urged “a speedy, credible and genuinely democratic resolution to this situation”. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has continued his strong criticism of Zimbabwe, urging the United Nations Security Council to uphold the will of Zimbabweans who voted in the presidential elections. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has expressed his concern.
Even the South African Cabinet agreed at a meeting this week that the situation in Zimbabwe is indeed dire, showing that the delay in the release of results is even starting to bother the staunchest followers of Mbeki’s “quiet diplomacy” in government.
Now Mbeki claims he was misquoted by a journalist; on Thursday government spokesperson Themba Maseko said it was “not helpful” to discuss what Mbeki had said or whether he had been misquoted.
Meanwhile, Jacob Zuma might use the situation to his own benefit. “If Zuma could broker some kind of resolution in Zimbabwe that the international community, particularly Britain and the United States, would be happy with, that would probably go a long way to alleviate concerns that other countries have regarding Zuma’s own leadership ability,” said analyst Mark Schroeder this week.
As the crisis in Zimbabwe deepens — with serious allegations of treason flying around by Thursday — Mbeki now seems to be in a rather tight spot, and only a much stronger stance against Mugabe would help him save face at this stage.
| FULL SPEED AHEAD |
NOT SO FAST |
Trevor Immelman
Immelman’s wire-to-wire victory in last week’s Masters kept the South African flag flying proudly on the international golf stage. Immelman, by bagging the coveted title, has ensured the continuation of a rich South African tradition in the Majors, established by the likes of Gary Player, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen. |
 Thabo Mbeki
South Africa’s leader shocked the world on the weekend of the Southern African Development Community meeting on Zimbabwe by saying there was no crisis in that country. Now he claims he was misquoted, and the Cabinet says his remarks don’t matter. Sounds too much like trying to get the egg off the president’s face … |
Most-read stories
April 10 to 16
1. Bullard shown the door over ‘racist column’
A “racist column” has cost well-known Sunday Times columnist David Bullard his job, Business Day reported on Friday.
2. Zim to haunt Mbeki at UN summit
South African President Thabo Mbeki had intended to lead a summit on Wednesday at the United Nations in New York that would focus on the increasing peacekeeping chores — and the need for more UN support — of African Union troops.
3. SA govt asks: Where are Zim vote results?
South Africa will work with other countries in the region to ensure the will of the Zimbabwean people is reflected, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Aziz Pahad said on Thursday.
4. ANC: Zimbabwe is in a state of crisis
Zimbabwe is in a state of crisis, the African National Congress national working committee said on Monday.
5. Zim recount leaves MDC worried
Zimbabwe’s official presidential election results may remain secret for at least another week while substantial numbers of votes are recounted in a move the opposition says is designed to overturn fraudulently Robert Mugabe’s defeat and his Zanu-PF party’s defeat in Parliament.
6. ‘Democracy gone wrong’ in Zimbabwe
Parliamentarians cannot remain silent about Zimbabwe, a case of “democracy gone wrong”, National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete said in Cape Town on Sunday.
7. ANC dumps Mbeki line
President Thabo Mbeki’s cherished policy of “quiet diplomacy” on Zimbabwe has been rejected by his own party.
8. Mugabe, Tsvangirai to attend crisis summit
President Robert Mugabe and his chief rival will attend an emergency summit of Southern African leaders to present their conflicting views of the crisis paralysing the country in the wake of hotly contested elections, spokespersons for the men said on Thursday.
9. Zim High Court halts vote recount
Zimbabwe’s High Court on Sunday ordered the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to refrain from recounting the results of March 29 elections because the presidential results have not yet been announced.
10. No crisis in Zimbabwe, says Mbeki
South African President Thabo Mbeki said on Saturday there was “no crisis” in Zimbabwe after holding his first face-to-face talks with Robert Mugabe since the country’s disputed March 29 elections.
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