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/ 12 April 2008

Mbeki meets Mugabe ahead of summit

South African President Thabo Mbeki was to hold talks on Saturday with Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe in Harare before heading on to Lusaka for a summit on Zimbabwe’s post-election crisis, an official said. Mugabe has chosen not to attend the gathering of the 14-nation Southern African Development Community.

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/ 3 April 2008

Mugabe lost for words after polls reverse

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe’s deafening silence after weekend elections has raised increasing speculation about the fate of a strongman who has never previously found himself lost for words. Rumours have also been swirling around about him possibly preparing to depart for a foreign country where he will live out his twilight years in exile.

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/ 26 March 2008

Zim meltdown: SA keeps counsel

South Africa has steadfastly refused to join in the chorus of criticism of Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe despite paying an ever higher price for the crisis across its northern border. As Zimbabwe goes to the polls this weekend, analysts believe South African President Thabo Mbeki may feel little enthusiasm towards Mugabe but will never embarrass his fellow leader.

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/ 6 March 2008

Kenya denies sponsoring post-election violence

The Kenyan government sanctioned violence following last December’s disputed presidential elections, the BBC alleged on Wednesday, but Nairobi strongly denied the claims. The BBC quoted sources alleging that meetings were held at the official residence of President Mwai Kibaki between a banned militia group and high-ranking government figures.

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/ 4 February 2008

Kenya legislator accuses first lady of assault

A Kenyan legislator on Monday accused President Mwai Kibaki’s wife, Lucy, of assaulting him at the official State House residence three weeks ago and said he planned to sue her. The government denied the charge. Government-allied legislator Gitobu Imanyara told reporters he had been the latest target of Lucy Kibaki’s ire.

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/ 18 January 2008

Mbeki meets Mugabe on mediation mission

South African President Thabo Mbeki met his Zimbabwean counterpart on Thursday after local media reports that he was stepping in to break a deadlock in talks aimed at ending Zimbabwe’s political and economic crises. Mbeki met with Robert Mugabe at a hotel for four hours and also met with members of the political opposition.

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/ 17 January 2008

Zim opposition push for vote delay

Zimbabwe’s opposition urged South African President Thabo Mbeki on Thursday to try to persuade his counterpart, Robert Mugabe, to delay elections due in March, opposition and government sources said. Mbeki held three hours of talks with Mugabe at State House in Harare before then meeting with officials from the main opposition.

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/ 31 December 2007

Defeated Kenyan challenger cries foul

Defeated opposition candidate Raila Odinga is set to press his claims of vote fraud on Monday at a Nairobi rally to declare him Kenya’s ”People’s President” despite threats of arrest. Mwai Kibaki was sworn in for a second term as Kenyan president on Sunday after being officially declared the winner.

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/ 27 December 2007

Kenya presidential cliffhanger sparks voter enthusiasm

Queues several kilometres long snaked around Africa’s largest slum on Thursday as Kenyans across the country and the class divide turned out en masse to vote in a close presidential election. In all of the East African nation’s previous polls, there was either only one candidate to vote for or only one with a realistic chance of winning.