United States Assistant Secretary of State for African affairs Jendayi Frazer has declared the Zimbabwe facilitation led by former president Thabo Mbeki as a failed process that has now run its course.
Frazer spoke to reporters in Pretoria on Sunday at the conclusion of her working visit to Mozambique, South Africa and Lesotho to discuss the deteriorating political and humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe.
During her visit she failed to meet with Mbeki, but did have meetings with African National Congress (ANC) president Jacob Zuma, President Kgalema Motlanthe and president of the Congress of the People Mosiuoa Lekota. She met in Mozambique with Armando Guebuza and in Lesotho with Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili.
“We think the facilitation is over, it led to a power-sharing agreement that is flawed,” she said.
She said the United States was doubtful about the September 15 power-sharing agreement signed by Zanu-PF leader Robert Mugabe and Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) president Morgan Tsvangirai, but was convinced by South Africa to give the agreement a chance.
“Secretary [of State Condoleezza] Rice has a very close relationship with Foreign Minister [Nkosazana Dlamini-] Zuma and she convinced secretary Rice that we needed to give it a chance. Let’s acknowledge now that the power-sharing agreement hasn’t worked,” said Frazer.
Rice telephoned both Dlamini-Zuma and Zuma in the last week to alert them to the change of tack by the US.
The US dug in its heels, saying that while Mugabe was president the country would not heed calls for any assistance to get Zimbabwe back on track, except for humanitarian help.
According to Frazer, the US was ready to negotiate on Zimbabwe’s behalf with the World Bank and other financial institutions to which Zimbabwe owes $1,2-billion.
“We said that we would help clear Zimbabwe’s arrears and help jumpstart the economy.”
Now the US has decided that while Mugabe remains in power no such efforts will be made.
Frazer said Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders have accepted that Mugabe’s regime is discredited, but are reluctant to take a tougher stance because they believe this will increase the chances of complete collapse in Zimbabwe.
“We think the country is already in collapse. [SADC leaders] were hesitant to go against Mugabe because they did not want to see the whole thing fall apart, but it has fallen apart,” said Frazer.
SADC leaders are “months away” from making a decision to take a tougher stance on Zimbabwe, but Frazer warned SADC is being split because of the Zimbabwe crisis.
“SADC is losing more of its credibility the longer this situation continues.”
She said the United Nations Security Council is bound to take tougher action against Zimbabwe as soon as South Africa finishes its two-year term as non-permanent member of the council. “South Africa was very effective in blocking robust action against Zimbabwe before the Security Council because they said sanctions would undermine the facilitator and that a deal was just around the corner.”
Another reason South Africa gave the Security Council for its opposition to sanctions is that the Zimbabwe crisis did not affect the region.
Frazer believes the outbreak of cholera has changed this, because cholera cases, which originated in Zimbabwe, are now being reported in Mozambique and South Africa.
She said that SADC leaders should come together and approach Mugabe as a collective, urging him to step down.
“It is as easy as them coming together and saying to Mugabe: ‘It’s over’. He won’t then have the cover of saying it is the West when his brothers say ‘you are no longer our comrade’.”
South Africa should also use the “significant leverage” it has over Zimbabwe to force Mugabe to step down.
Frazer commended Zuma for his statements saying that Mugabe is not his comrade, and said this is a significant signal about “where the ANC is headed” in regard to South Africa’s stance on Mugabe.
New elections in Zimbabwe are “necessary”, said Frazer, but not possible in the current situation where Mugabe yields significant power over the state machinery that is responsible for the violence that has been wrecking the country.
“The electoral commission is also questionable. [We do not want] to put the population through that.”
She said the economy is being run on US dollars and the government no longer has control over the economy.