Zimbabwe’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) on Saturday insisted that its leader had sent a letter to President Thabo Mbeki asking to step down as Zimbabwe mediator.
Spokesperson George Sibotshiwe told the Sunday Times that Morgan Tsvangirai wrote to Mbeki last month.
”We can confirm that we sent a letter to President Thabo Mbeki’s office on May 13 2008. However we can’t disclose any detail because this is a diplomatic issue.”
MDC insisted that the letter published by the Sunday Times last week was genuine.
On June 4, the Director-General in the Presidency, Reverend Frank Chikane told a press conference that the letter in possession of the Sunday Times was a fake.
”I don’t see why we should respond to a letter we do not have,” he said.
Chikane said the letter could be part of a disinformation campaign by sinister forces.
”The world is not innocent — there are too many interests out there,” he said.
In the letter, Tsvangirai accuses Mbeki of conniving with Robert Mugabe and asks him to step down as a mediator between the MDC and Zanu-PF.
Sibotshiwe said Mbeki’s office knew that the MDC has sent a letter although the party could not say ”who received it”.
Another copy would be given to the South African high commissioner in Harare. – Sapa