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Civic
leaders meet South African mediators
Sebastian Nyamhangambiri, ZimOnline
September 19, 2007
http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=2035
HARARE - Zimbabwean
civic society leaders under the Save
Zimbabwe Campaign banner left the country yesterday for a meeting
with South African mediators in talks between ruling ZANU PF party
and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, ZimOnline has
learnt.
The team, composed
of National
Constitutional Assembly president, Lovemore Madhuku, Zimbabwe
Lawyers for Human Rights director, Arnold Tsunga, and Pastor
Ray Motsi who is spokesperson for Christian Alliance, was yesterday
expected to meet South African Defence Minister, Mosiuoa Lekota.
Lekota is part of the
South African team mediating in the Southern African Development
Community-initiated talks between ZANU PF and the MDC.
"There is a possibility
of meeting the South African president, but that is not certain
yet," said a source close to the delegation.
The source said the civic
leaders are going to make known to the South African team their
misgivings after the Zimbabwean civil society was left out of the
talks.
"The delegation
also wants the issue of the constitutional reforms to be part of
the concessions that will be made by the MDC and ZANU PF. The constitution
is the centre of the current crisis. We believe having an election
under the current constitution is academic," the source said.
The Save Zimbabwe
Campaign meeting with Lekota comes days after President Thabo Mbeki
met leaders of the divided MDC over the weekend.
The South African leader
briefed Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara on progress in the
talks.
Madhuku, who
is said to be leading the Save Zimbabwe Campaign, confirmed going
to Pretoria but refused to be drawn into details.
"Maybe the right
time to comment would be when I am back. I am not going to say what
I am going to South Africa for," said Madhuku speaking from
the Harare International Airport.
Lekota or Mbeki's office
could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Mbeki was mandated by
SADC last March to mediate in the Zimbabwe crisis talks seen by
many as key to ending a biting eight-year economic and political
crisis in the country. - ZimOnline
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