Harare - While President Kgalema Motlanthe's new government called on Thabo Mbeki on Thursday to continue as mediator in Zimbabwe's political crisis, a senior official with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party said that Mbeki's involvement was not needed.
Zimbabwe's leadership faces an impasse that threatens to derail a power-sharing deal and the recovery of the nation's shattered economy.
Mbeki, a trouble-shooter in a series of African crises during nine years as president, brokered the September 15 deal between Mugabe and MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai that was to establish a unity government.
Mbeki's role was thrown into doubt after the ANC forced him to resign. Pressure for him to become involved again has grown as Mugabe's party and the MDC argue over the allocation of cabinet posts.
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"Mr Mbeki's facilitation efforts in Zimbabwe have proven his dispassionate vision for a lasting political solution to the challenges facing Zimbabwe," said Motlanthe in a statement.
Tsvangirai's MDC initially criticised Mbeki as being too soft on Mugabe, but it now supports him continuing his 18-month mediation under a mandate from the 15-nation Southern African Development Community.
Zanu-PF, which lost control of parliament in a March election and entered the talks reluctantly, said it did not see any immediate need for mediation over the dispute on cabinet posts.
"We cannot, at the slightest difference in opinion, call outsiders to mediate. It has to stop in the interest of harmonisation of relations," said Patrick Chinamasa, chief Zanu-PF negotiator at the talks. - Reuters
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This article was originally published on page 4 of The Mercury on October 03, 2008
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