Mbeki rejects calls for intervention in Zimbabwe

South African president Thabo Mbeki today rejected calls for international intervention in Zimbabwe.

Arriving in Watford for the Progressive Governance Conference of international centre-left leaders, Mr Mbeki said that he believed that the current situation was “manageable”.

Earlier the opposition Movement for Democratic Change appealed to the United Nations to step in to ensure that the country did not erupt into violence following the disputed election results.

However, Mr Mbeki said that he believed the international community should wait to see if there was a run-off between President Robert Mugabe and MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

“I think the situation for now is manageable,” he said as he was welcomed to the conference by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

“I think it is time to wait. Let’s see the outcome of the election results. If there is a re-run of the presidential election let us see what comes out of that.”

Mr Brown is due to hold one to one talks with Mr Mbeki later today in private away from the conference venue.