A LOT has been said about President Thabo Mbeki’s mediation efforts in Zimbabwe. He has been criticised for his quiet diplomacy, with some arguing that his policy has failed to yield results, but the big question is, “Has he failed?” Can we conclude that Mbeki has failed? Does the Southern Africa Development Community (Sadc) not mandate Mbeki mediation effort? Thus, is it Mbeki or Sadc that is failing?
The MDC has accused Mbeki of being disingenuous in the whole process and have even tried to get the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) to change the mediator.
Morgan Tsvangirai has called for President Mbeki to step down as mediator and South Africa’s opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has supported this view.
The DA leader Helen Zille said: "We need to get a mediator who is credible on all sides. President Mbeki has lost the confidence of Tsvangirai, who has reportedly won the elections. If you have lost the confidence of one player you can't (continue to) mediate."
The African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) also called on Mbeki to step down because he was biased toward Mugabe and his Zanu PF. "President Mbeki was appointed to mediate in a crisis situation, which he has not only failed to resolve but in which he has shown an unacceptable partiality. The ACDP joins more than a dozen Zimbabwean civic rights groups that have sent a petition to the Zimbabwean embassy in Pretoria making demands that (Mbeki) recuse himself from the mediation process," said ACDP leader Kenneth Meshoe.
So what needs to be done? Should President Mbeki step down? And if he does who steps in? Tsvangirai is reported to have already asked the Zambian president, Levy Mwanawasa to take over from President Mbeki. However, President Mwanawasa is said to have told Tsvangirai that it was not possible for him to be mediator because it was the Sadc heads that had appointed Mr Mbeki to be the mediator in the Zimbabwe issues.
The question is how do those against the Mbeki led mediation efforts view Tsvangirai’s move? Is it right for Tsvangirai to choose whom he would have as mediator? Are mediators neutral anyway? Would this bring about any change to the impasse?
In the last couple of months a number of critics have said that Sadc leaders were pro-Mugabe; how then would a change of mediator change things for Zimbabwe if a replacement for Mbeki came from within the Sadc regional leadership and even Africa in general? If the acceptance of mediation is based on a cost-benefit calculation, then the assumption that mediators must be perceived as impartial needs to be revised.
First, a pre-existing good relationship with one of the parties may aid effective communication and facilitate development of creative proposals. The adversary party may see such a relationship as evidence that the mediator can effectively pressure the other party into a settlement. The mediator's success and reputation rides on their ability to deliver their ally into a settlement, and so again the adversary party may be reassured that the mediator is strongly motivated to reach an acceptable settlement.
Mediators need not be impartial to be accepted or effective. Instead, mediators must have an interest in achieving an outcome acceptable to both sides and as being not so partial as to preclude such an achievement.
The Amendment No. 18 to the constitution brought with it a number of things that have benefited the MDC in the election just past and was this not something that was made possible by Mbeki’s so called failing quite diplomacy? What exactly do the critics of President Mbeki want him to do? Do they want to see him holding hands more with Tsvangirai than President Mugabe? President Mbeki has done a lot of work bringing Zanu PF and MDC to the round table, we must be grateful for his efforts. Even the Sadc leaders know that he is the best man for the job.
Brilliant Pongo
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READER OPINIONS
Arthur Gwagwa • arthurgwagwa@yahoo.com Subject: Good job Thu, 08 May 2008 23:36:17 • I think Mbeki has been doing a very good job and must be commentend for the effort.
A mediator is simply a facilitator who affords parties an opportunity to meet and thrash out differences. He simply provides the framework, tools and facility for the parties to meet in a neutral forum.
Just like any other human being, the Mediator might hold his own views on the conflict provided this doesnt overtly influence his role.
His quiet diplomacy stance and the usaul utterances that Zimbabweans need to solve their own problems is the right thing to do. A mediator must work in the back ground and must not be quick to give press conferences lest he prejudices the whole process.
By allowing parties to reflect on the conflict and find each other, the mediator would be acting as an empowerer who ensures that parties are responsible for their own decisions and the consequences attendant thereto.
Failure to fully resolve the Zim problems is not Mbeki's fault at all but the attitude of the parties involved. If they dont want to change or agree, there is not much the mediator can do. In any event change is slow by its nature. You can not expect a conflict of Zim proportions to be resolved over night. Its complicated than it appears to be on the surface.
Thanks
N/A • N/A Subject: Mediator Thu, 08 May 2008 13:04:21 • You can only mediate if you are accepted by both parties. Mbeki is no longer accepted by the MDC. Whether we agree with their reason is a different issue, but the issue is that one of the parties have rejected him, just like DRC rejected Sir Ketumile Masire. So his job is over.
n/a • n/a Subject: Balance Wed, 07 May 2008 16:13:56 • Good article, very well balanced. We need morecontributions like these, that are not divisive.
GOKWE GURU • n/a Subject: STILL WATERS RUN DEEEEEEEEEP... Wed, 07 May 2008 15:53:11 • It took years to get those grey hairs. He wasnt born with them. Don't under estimate this dude.
truth comission • waltermurder@yahoo.co.uk Subject: open your eyes Wed, 07 May 2008 13:54:12 • i read someone here saying MBEKI has been a negotiator for almost his entire presidential term and nothing to show for?..these are the same people who go around asking for USA and UK intervention..my question is.....HOW MANY USA PRESIDENTS HAVE WE HAD AS NEGOTIATORS ON THE ISRAEL PALESTINIAN CONFLICT WITHOUT ANYTHING TO SHOW FOR????????......wake zimbabweans and open your eyes..
n/a • n/a Subject: Mbeki has failed Zimbabweans Wed, 07 May 2008 13:20:53 • Mbeki has been a mediator for almost all his presidential term but there are no results to show for it. Mbeki is not mediating but is rather covering up for Mugabe. Mbeki's presidential term is ending next year. Zuma should now takeover as the mediator as Mugabe will only listen to South African leaders as they are the only ones able to push him in the SADC Region. Mwanawasa will not get cooperation from Mugabe, so he and other SADC leaders (from outside South Africa) cannot be mediators. To me Zuma is the best option, after all Mbeki won't be the South African president next year. I forsee Zuma taking over (as South African President) from Mbeki next year.
Ndinonziani • na Subject: Mbeki is a good mediator Wed, 07 May 2008 11:28:48 • It surprises me that Tsvangirai wants to dictate who mediates and who doesn't? If he can do that what stops President Robert Mugabe to do the same? We have treated him with kid gloves for too long and now he thinks he can dictate everything.. We don't want Mwanawepi ooh Mwanawas to mediate end game.
n/a • n/a Subject: interesting Wed, 07 May 2008 09:22:12 • Can you see how the MDC is going round in cirles? They are now back home at the SADC asking for intervention and Mbeki is now key again, after a month of battering by the MDC.
n/a • displaying results Subject: Mbeki's successes Wed, 07 May 2008 09:20:13 • Well said. Mbeki could have only done what he could do. Display results was Mbeki's success
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