Maravi

(HERALD) SADC

Herald Reporters

PRESIDENT Mugabe yesterday held talks with his South African counterpart, President Thabo Mbeki, at State House in Harare. It could not be established what the two leaders discussed as they did not field questions from journalists. A number of Cabinet ministers, among them Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Cde Patrick Chinamasa and Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Cde Nicholas Goche, who were the Zanu-PF negotiators in the South African-brokered talks with the opposition MDC last year, were also at State House. But the Minister of Information and Publicity, Cde Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, said he could not disclose the nature of the discussions.

"It’s good that President Mbeki came personally to locate what is happening here in Zimbabwe. But I cannot discuss the substance of the meeting . . . making the discussions public is the prerogative of the two heads of state," Cde Ndlovu said.

President Mbeki arrived at the Harare International Airport yesterday morning where he was met by President Mugabe, senior Government officials, service chiefs and diplomats before proceeding to State House.

The two leaders held closed-door talks for about three hours before President Mbeki visited the South African Ambassador’s residence in Highlands, where he met a fact-finding mission he sent earlier in the week.

The fact-finding mission is in the country to investigate alleged incidents of post-election violence.

President Mbeki returned to State House for a brief meeting with Cde Mugabe before departing for the airport, where he was seen off by the President, Defence Minister Cde Sydney Sekeramayi, Cde Goche, State Security Minister Cde Didymus Mutasa and service chiefs.

Sadc heads of state last year mandated South Africa to mediate in talks between the ruling Zanu-PF and the opposition MDC-T and MDC that resulted in some agreements that led to the three parties co-sponsoring Constitutional Amendment Number 18 in Parliament and a number of electoral reforms in preparation for the March 29 harmonised elections.

African Union Commission chairman Mr Jean Ping and a Sadc Ministerial Committee of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security also visited Zimbabwe this week to assess the situation after the elections.

Mr Ping and the Sadc committee also met President Mugabe.

Labels: JEAN PING, SADC, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 10:38 PM