WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.
Original Post Date: 2004-02-25 Posted By: Jan
From the News Archives of: WWW.AfricanCrisis.Org
Date & Time Posted: 2/25/2004 5:33:25 AM
Mbeki faces fresh criticism over Zimbabwe
[Mbeki won’t change. He might tell another couple of lies to get people off his back again. But he’s firmly on Mugabe’s side. Jan]
As Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was slamming the door on negotiations with the country’s main opposition – labelling them “devils” – this week, President Thabo Mbeki came under increasing pressure to intervene in the country’s long-running political crisis.
The South African Council of Churches (SACC) – an umbrella grouping of most denominations – has written to Mbeki, urging him to send a delegation to Harare to help rekindle talks between Mugabe’s Zanu-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
“We are anxious to have the president help to restore the talks,” SACC general secretary Molefe Tsele said. “The people of Zimbabwe, especially the churches, have repeatedly told us that they are counting on us to assist them in finding a solution to their acute economic and political crisis.”
“It is our wish that President Mbeki makes a statement to the South African public as to whether or not it is true that President Mugabe is committed to the talks with the leader of the MDC, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai.
“We are anxious to have the president help to restore the talks,” Tsele said.
Mbeki welcomed the SACC letter. His spokesperson Bheki Khumalo said that Mbeki agreed with the churches that there was no substitute for dialogue and that South Africa should do everything possible to assist the people of Zimbabwe to find a solution to their problems.
In an interview on state television on Monday, Mugabe said that although he was willing to hold talks with the MDC, he would not do so until the party cuts its links with the West.
Mugabe accuses Britain of bankrolling the MDC in a bid to oust him from power and return imperialist interests to the former British colony.
“As long as they are dictated upon from abroad we will find it extremely difficult to negotiate with them,” Mugabe said.
“But if they are going to now seek the hand of our enemy to destroy our economy, then we begin to wonder whether they are for the people or against the people,” he said.
“We can’t discuss with allies of the Western countries that would want to destroy our economy. The devil is the devil… we have no idea (sic) of supping with the devil.”
South African- and Nigerian-brokered talks between the MDC and Zanu-PF broke down in May 2002 after the participants agreed only on an agenda.
Last month Mbeki announced that the two parties had agreed to enter into a formal dialogue soon to resolve Zimbabwe’s socio-economic and political woes.
The SACC statement said: “President Mbeki has publicly said he had been personally told by President Mugabe that Zanu-PF is committed to the talks, and that, in fact, the talks are under way.”
“The people of Zimbabwe, especially the churches, have repeatedly told us that they are counting on us to assist them in finding a resolution to their acute economic and political crisis. We would be failing in our moral obligation to be with them in their hour of need,” Tsele said.
In another statement, DA national chairman Joe Seremane said Mbeki’s policy of “quiet diplomacy” had been exposed as an embarrassing and costly disaster. Mbeki, he said, had developed a disconcerting tendency of making behind-the-scenes assurances to Western leaders, which later turned out to be patently false, Seremane said.
“It is time President Mbeki stopped feeding the world untruths and obfuscation. We need far more than a change of policy from President Mbeki; we need a change of heart.”
Cosatu has pledged its support for a one-day strike in Zimbabwe, organised for Wednesday, spokesperson Patrick Craven said. Craven said Cosatu supported the demands of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions. – Sapa, Reuters and Own Correspondent
This article was originally published on page 1 of The Cape Times on February 25, 2004
Source: IOL
URL: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=68&ar…br>