- Title: SOUTH AFRICA: Zimbabwe to reach power-sharing deal soon -MDC
- Date: 14th August 2008
- Summary: (BN16) SANDTON, SOUTH AFRICA (AUGUST 17, 2008) (REUTERS-ACCESS ALL) JOURNALISTS AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) MDC SECRETARY GENERAL, TENDAI BITI, SAYING: "Failure is not an option in this dialogue, our people are suffering, inflation is over nine million percent, life expectancy is 34, 80 percent of the people are now living below the poverty datum line, surviving on less than US 35 cents a day, but it's critical that we conclude this dialogue as a matter of urgency, again because people are suffering, again because of the humanitarian crisis, where four to five million would have to be fed by the WFP and other bodies, perhaps most importantly that country needs an opportunity of healing, that country needs an opportunity of restarting, that country needs an opportunity of rehabilitating itself, so we as the leaders of the Movement for Democratic Change will remain committed to this dialogue and trust that there will be conclusion on the same very soon." SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI ADDRESSING THE MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA, THABO MBEKI, SAYING: "Documents as contained in the facilitator's report reflect the framework, the spirit and purpose of the SADC and African Union resolutions, and in due of that, that they are a good basis for a global agreement among the Zimbabwe parties, and that context therefore appeal to the parties, Zimbabwe parties, to sign any outstanding agreements and to conclude the negotiations therefore as a matter urgency, and said that recognising that while negotiations are continuing, it recognises that while negotiations are continuing, it may be necessary to convene parliament, to give effect to the will of the people as expressed in the parliamentary elections held on the 29th of March this year, and of course encourage the facilitator to continue in mediation efforts." MEDIA AND OFFICIALS LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA, THABO MBEKI, SAYING: "This humanitarian, economic, socio-economic situation in Zimbabwe is addressed as a matter of urgency, by an inclusive government, so it's a very very fundamental matter of concern to the region, the socio-economic condition of the population of Zimbabwe, the humanitarian needs, all of that, but believe that we need this inclusive government, then to drive at the process of addressing those challenges." SWAZILAND'S KING MSWATI III LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA, THABO MBEKI, SAYING: "Let's really allow the people of Zimbabwe to determine their future, it's critically important, because any solution that is imposed from outside won't last, it won't last, unless it's a common product that is owned by this entire collective of the leadership of Zimbabwe." EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF SADC TAKING NOTES SWAZILAND'S KING MSWATI III MBEKI ADDRESSING THE MEDIA
- Embargoed: 29th August 2008 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: South Africa
- Country: South Africa
- Reuters ID: LVABVXYDAYUWYSGZWZC9VIZM2VZX
- Story Text: The secretary general of Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Tendai Biti says he believes a power-sharing deal with the country's ruling party will be reached soon.
The secretary general of Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said on Sunday (August 17) he believed a power-sharing deal with the country's ruling party will be reached soon.
Tendai Biti told a news conference in Johannesburg after a regional summit the MDC was committed to the negotiations and that failure was not an option.
"Failure is not an option in this dialogue, our people are suffering," Biti said.
"That country needs an opportunity of rehabilitating itself, so we as the leaders of the Movement for Democratic Change will remain committed to this dialogue and trust that there will be conclusion on the same very soon," he said.
Negotiations began last month after President Robert Mugabe was re-elected unopposed in June in a vote condemned around the world and boycotted by MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai because of attacks on his supporters.
Earlier, a troika of southern African leaders at the summit called on Zimbabwe's parties to quickly reach a power-sharing agreement and said parliament may have to be convened as talks continue, South African President Thabo Mbeki said.
But the troika did not impose a deadline and it was not possible to say when a deal would be reached, said Mbeki, the new chairman of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional grouping.
All Zimbabwe's neighbours fear the consequences if its political stalemate and economic decline lead to total meltdown.
Millions of Zimbabweans have fled across borders to escape the world's highest inflation rate of over 2 million percent as well as high unemployment and shortages of basic goods. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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