By XOLANI MBANJWA
President Thabo Mbeki should adopt a different stance towards Zimbabwe if he is to salvage his credibility before leaving office next year, according to political analysts.
They were reacting to the ANC's public contradiction of Mbeki's view that there was no crisis in Zimbabwe, as well as the ruling party's decision to opt for a parallel mediation process with Zanu-PF and the opposition.
University of Johannesburg vice-chancellor Adam Habib said on Tuesday Mbeki's stance had "eroded" his power at home.
'He can't continue sitting on the fence any longer' "Mbeki finds himself in an untenable situation. He is in a dilemma to avoid antagonising the parties involved in Zimbabwe while on the other hand he has to re-establish some degree of credibility."
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Mbeki needed to draw a line when it came to Zimbabwe, Habib said.
"He can't let the situation continue the way it is and his inability to draw a line means that he will continue having the grass being cut from under his feet by the ANC.
"He can't continue sitting on the fence any longer because he is being criticised for it. The fact that ANC has contradicted him makes things tense, but it is no attempt to unseat him", said Habib.
Judith February, of the Institute for Democracy in SA (Idasa), said the "tussle" between the Mbeki and the ANC would deepen democracy.
The "sparring" was expected after Polokwane, which had seen Mbeki's influence substantially weakened after he lost the ANC leadership to Jacob Zuma.
For the South African public the contradictions were "bewildering".
South Africa has taken two positions on the "crisis" in Zimbabwe, said February.
"That is untenable and there should be attempts made to come to a common position by both the ANC and Mbeki."
Laurence Caromba, from the Centre for International Political Studies, said Mbeki was wasting a historic opportunity to demonstrate that Africans could resolve their issues on their own, Caromba said.
"Mbeki's stance on Zimbabwe undermines his entire political philosophy: the idea of an African Renaissance, the idea that African states can solve their own problems without interference from the rest of the world.
Mbeki had a lot of power to influence Zimbabwe and should use it, Caromba said.
"John Vorster proved that in 1976 when he forced Ian Smith to stand down as prime minister of Rhodesia. I think it will be remembered as a great historical tragedy that Mbeki did not exert similar pressure on Mugabe."
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This article was originally published on page 8 of Cape Argus on April 16, 2008
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