Zimbabwe opposition leader Tsvangirai boycotts inter-party talks

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(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-07-07 09:56

HARARE -- Zimbabwean opposition MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai snubbed mediation efforts by South African President Thabo Mbeki when he, at the last minute, failed to turn up for a meeting at Zimbabwe House, where he was scheduled to meet President Mugabe on Saturday, The Sunday Mail reported.

Zimbabwe's opposition leader of Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Morgan Tsvangirai speaks to a group of villagers in Nkayi, 185 km (115 miles) east of Bulawayo June 7, 2008. [Xinhua]

This was despite the fact that Tsvangirai had, on about four occasions, asked Mbeki to facilitate a meeting between him and Mugabe and had given assurance to the SA leader that he would attend Saturday's meeting.

However, the president of the other MDC formation, Arthur Mutambara, his secretary-general Welshman Ncube and his deputy Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga attended the meeting.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe (1st R) adjusts his earphone while attending the 11th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) in the Sharm El-Sheikh International Congress Center in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, June 30, 2008. [Xinhua]

Zimbabwean Vice-President Joice Mujuru also attended the meeting together with the Zanu-PF representatives to the inter-party talks, Patrick Chinamasa and Nicholas Goche.

Sources privy to the details of the meeting on Saturday told The Sunday Mail that Tsvangirai had been asking Mbeki to facilitate a meeting with President Mugabe even before the March 29 harmonized elections.

The SA leader then approached Mugabe, who agreed to meet the opposition leader, but the meeting could not take place earlier due to other commitments.

It is understood that Mbeki spoke to Tsvangirai last Thursday, when they agreed that the meeting should take place on Saturday at Zimbabwe House.

Last Friday, Mbeki then dispatched his Minister of Local Government and Housing, Sydney Mufumadi, together with another government official to Harare to make preparations for the meeting.

On arrival in Zimbabwe, Mufumadi met Mugabe who gave him the commitment that he would attend the meeting. The SA minister then spoke to Ncube and Tsvangirai, who both agreed that they would attend the meeting.

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