Opposition welcomes Zimbabwe mediation plan

South African President Thabo Mbeki announced plans to work closely with the UN and the African Union as he attempts to mediate a settlement in Zimbabwe.

The plan was applauded by Zimbabwe’s opposition, which has criticised Mr Mbeki as biased in favour of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, and called for him to be replaced or work with a second mediator.

Mr Mbeki met the top African Union executive, Jean Ping, in Pretoria yesterday, along with an official of the Southern African Development Community responsible for regional security issues, George Chikoti; and Haile Menkerios, a special UN envoy on Zimbabwe.

According to his office, Mr Mbeki proposed a special group of SADC, AU and UN representatives be formed with which he would talk “on an ongoing basis”. The statement said the parties agreed to set up the so-called reference group.

Mr Mbeki would remain the main mediator trying to find a solution to Zimbabwe’s deadly political crisis.

In a statement released late yesterday, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai welcomed the “appointment of a reference group of eminent Africans who will work with President Mbeki and the main parties in Zimbabwe to find a peaceful negotiated solution to the Zimbabwean crisis”.