Mugabe days are numbered, Mbeki promises Bush

SOUTH AFRICAN President Thabo Mbeki has told United States President George W Bush that Robert Mugabe will relinquish his leadership of Zimbabwe’s ruling party by December.

Such a move would pave the way for Mugabe’s exit as Zimbabwe’s president and new elections by June 2004.

Mr Mbeki’s assurance to Mr Bush that Mr Mugabe will stand aside is believed to be based on a personal promise extracted from the Zimbabwean leader. Mr Bush has pledged a reconstruction package for Zimbabwe worth up to $10 billion over an unspecified timeframe, if a new leader takes over in the African country.