Mbeki Meets Mugabe And Some Opposition Leaders in Harare

South African President Thabo Mbeki, the chief regional negotiator on the Zimbabwe crisis, met Saturday in Harare with President Robert Mugabe and leaders of a breakaway faction of the main opposition party, according to the foreign affairs department.

Mbeki held discussions with Mugabe, whose re-election last month has been rejected by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change of Morgan Tsvangirai. They were then joined by Arthur Mutambara, head of the dissident MDC faction, its secretary-general Welshman Ncube and the latter’s deputy Priscilla Misihairibwi-Mushonga

Meanwhile, supporters of the opposition MDC in South Africa marched to Durban’s city hall on Saturday calling on the African Union to deploy peacekeepers in Zimbabwe, the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation radio reported here.

The marchers also protested the “illegitimate” swearing in of Robert Mugabe as Zimbabwean president. Nelson Kambarami, MDC Durban branch chairman, said it was time for the AU to take action to protect the innocent people of Zimbabwe.

“What we can request, even to every Zimbabwean, if we can have peacekeepers who can try to neutralize the situation in Zimbabwe where Mugabe is just trying to address on the media a window dressing. If we can have a transitional government, free and fair election can be held, we can accept that stance,” he told SABC news.

Source African Press Agency

Net News Publisher