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Civil society leaders meet SA mediation team
Lance Guma, SW Radio Africa
August 14, 2007

http://www.swradioafrica.com/news140807/civsoc140807.htm

After months of intense lobbying civil society leaders from Zimbabwe finally got the chance to put forward their concerns to a SADC initiative aimed at solving the country's long running crisis. On Tuesday key figures from a broad array of pressure groups had a 4-hour meeting with a delegation of South African government officials leading the mediation talks. The civil leaders were all whisked away from the Oliver Tambo airport by South African foreign affairs officials and led to a meeting chaired by South Africa's Local Government Minister, Sydney Mufamadi.

Lovemore Madhuku (National Constitutional Assembly), Jacob Mafume (Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition), Jenni Williams (WOZA), Netsai Mushonga (Women's Coalition), Jonah Gokova (Zimbabwe National Pastor's Conference) and Washington Katema (Zimbabwe National Students Union) were among those who attended. Newsreel spoke to Mafume who said they were able to present their concerns as civil society. These included issues related to the country's constitutional framework, violence directed at perceived government opponents, respect for the rule of law, the electoral and media environment. He said all these issues needed to be addressed if a lasting solution was to be found.

Mafume also said the secrecy behind the Thabo Mbeki led talks had not inspired confidence in the Zimbabwean public and that it was important to build this confidence from the ground.

He emphasized that there was a need for some urgency in proceedings since the situation was dire. The groups say they will support any genuine attempt to get a solution. Asked if there were to be any more meetings, Mafume said they all pledged a 'commitment to keep being engaged' but that nothing had been written in stone yet. The South African mediation team was meanwhile eager to explain that their mandate was not to 'mediate' but rather to 'facilitate' dialogue between Zanu PF and the MDC.

The meeting however must have given the civil leaders a sense of achievement. Throughout the year they criticised the mediation process for marginalising their concerns. In May this year the Save Zimbabwe Campaign wrote a letter to Mbeki with a specific request to be included in the negotiations. Speaking for the group NCA Chair Lovemore Madhuku said, 'It's common knowledge that the views of millions of disenfranchised Zimbabweans cannot be articulated by two opposing political parties.'

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