ANC chairperson Baleka Mbete’s visit to Zimbabwe has done little to persuade the Movement for Democratic Change that her party disagrees with youth leader Julius Malema’s public support for President Robert Mugabe.
Mbete flew to Bulawayo on April 30 to attend a party thrown to celebrate Simon Khaya Moyo’s election as Zanu-PF chairperson.
She briefly met MDC-Tsvangirai chairperson Lovemore Moyo in an apparent attempt to mend fences after Malema’s utterances, but MDC insiders said her visit did nothing to move Zimbabwe’s warring parties towards a settlement.
They were quietly frustrated that Zanu-PF had again used her visit to drive home their key demand for the removal of Western sanctions.
State media also made much of her statements that “we are one” and that “we are each other’s keeper”.
An MDC official said the party expects Zuma himself to clarify whether Malema’s sentiments were mandated by the party or were his personal view. “He must come himself and make it clear to us whether he supports Malema in this.”
Although MDC insiders believe Zuma has been more even-handed than former president and mediator Thabo Mbeki, they believe the ANC will never be fully on their side.
Said one: “This is just more of the same. People going in and out of Zimbabwe but the political will to address the real issues is not there. The issue at hand is getting the military out of the process so we can have free and fair elections.”
During her visit Mbete stuck to Zuma’s line on Western sanctions, saying they had contributed to Zimbabwe’s economic collapse. She put pressure on Tsvangirai to take a more visible stand in having the measures lifted.