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Mbeki in 'milestone' talks with Mugabe, Tsvangirai on powersharing

by : DPA

Date : Sun, 10 Aug 2008 10:03:31 GMT





Harare - South African President Thabo Mbeki met with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Sunday in an attempt to convince them to sign up to a powersharing deal aimed at ending Zimbabwe 's woes. Mbeki met first with Tsvangirai and the chief negotiator of his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Tendai Biti, before receiving Mugabe for talks at a hotel in Zimbabwe 's capital Harare.

Mbeki, the Southern African Development Community 's mediator in Zimbabwe 's political crisis, is also scheduled to hold talks with the leader of a smaller MDC faction, Arthur Mutambara.

His visit to Zimbabwe comes amid mounting speculation that a powersharing deal between Mugabe 's Zanu-PF and the two MDC factions may be near.

The three parties have been holding talks on a unity government in South Africa since July 24.

Mugabe, Zimbabwe 's president of 28 years and who was recently inaugurated as leader for another five years after an election he alone contested, grudgingly entered the talks at the bidding of the African Union.

Western powers, such as Britain and the United States, are standing by to plough money into rebuilding Zimbabwe, but only, they say, if the MDC and Tsvangirai are given the senior role in the new dispensation.

Reports circulating in South African media have variously suggested Tsvangirai would be made executive prime minister or prime minister with limited powers under Mugabe as president.

Mbeki, who has been accused of being biased in favour of Mugabe 's Zanu-PF, was met at the airport by Mugabe on his arrival at Harare airport Saturday evening.

It was not clear whether, after the one-on-one meetings, Mbeki would be chairing a face-to-face meeting of all three leaders, as his spokesman Mukoni Ratshitanga had predicted during the week and that was seen as a possible sign that an accord could be signed as early as Sunday.

Mugabe 's spokesman George Charamba has called Mbeki 's visit "an important milestone " in the talks, but also appeared to downplay reports of an imminent deal, saying in state media Saturday Mbeki would consult with the parties on how to advance the dialogue.



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