*Zimbabwe: Mbeki hails Govt, MDC attitude *
Posted: Wednesday, June 13, 2007

*The Herald* <http://www.herald.co.zw/>

SOUTH African President Thabo Mbeki yesterday said he had been encouraged by
the attitude of Zimbabwe's Government and the opposition since being tasked
by Sadc to mediate their differences, as Russia threw its weight behind the
Sadc initiative to assist Zimbabwe revive its economy.

"We . . . are encouraged in this regard by the positive attitude evinced by
the protagonists in that country," Mr Mbeki told Members of Parliament in
Cape Town during debate on the presidency's annual budget.

The parties, Mr Mbeki said, "do recognise that the people of Zimbabwe expect
of them nothing less than concrete action to extricate them from the
difficulties they face currently".

Mr Mbeki was asked in March by fellow Sadc leaders at an extraordinary
summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to mediate between the Government and the
MDC ahead of elections next year.

His team has been in touch with both sides but he has yet to meet directly
with either President Mugabe or MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai on the issue.

President Mbeki reiterated yesterday that "we intend to move with speed in
executing this mandate".

On Monday President Mugabe once again reached out to the MDC to work with
the Government on matters of national interest.

Acknowledging the presence of MDC Senators and Members of the House of
Assembly at the commissioning of agricultural equipment in Harare, Cde
Mugabe said such events should unite the Government and the opposition
despite their political differences.

"It's a national event . . . that realisation is important that there must
be occasions when we must be together. After all, we eat together. Nyaya
yekudya inyaya yedu tese, hapana asingararame nekudya. Kana toita politics
dzekutukana tinenge taguta," the President said to applause by guests.

Leading MDC officials were among the first beneficiaries of the farm
mechanisation programme, who will get tractors, planters and combine
harvesters, among other equipment, bought by the Reserve Bank.

Reserve Bank Governor Dr Gideon Gono said the programme cuts across the
political and social divide.

"Feeding the country may not be left to one region, political party, gender
or business community, but is a shared responsibility," said Dr Gono.

President Mugabe has repeatedly urged the opposition to be nationalistic,
homegrown and to join forces with the Government to defend Zimbabwe's
sovereignty and independence.

In Harare, outgoing Russian Ambassador Mr Oleg Scherbak yesterday said his
country was confident the Sadc initiative would see Zimbabwe overcome its
problems.

Mr Scherbak said Zimbabwe was going through a challenging time in its
post-colonial history.

"We believe the country will surmount all its current difficulties and in
the end things will mend. That is why we welcome the latest Sadc initiative
on Zimbabwe as a comprehensive package," he said at a function to mark the
Russian national day.

The ambassador said his country would continue to advance a constructive
international agenda and was convinced that the best way to settle critical
situations was about engagement in dialogue and not about isolation of any
country.

Russia foreign policy priorities, he said, were to focus much on Africa.

"Today we see African countries vigorously joining the global process and by
that vindicating once again that exclusive zones of influence which have
become a thing of the past. A broad field of constructive action is opened
here for Russia and its business community," he said.

Mr Scherbak said his country's stable economic growth had enabled it to
contribute to concerted efforts at the international community and bilateral
level to support sustainable development of Africa.

By the end of this year, he said, Russia would have cancelled some US$500
million of poor African countries' debts.

The total amount of Africa's debts written off by Russia in recent years
would come to US$11,8 billion.

Mr Scherbak said he was confident that the time-tested co-operation between
Russia and Africa would continue to grow since all necessary prerequisites
for this were already in place.

"At present there is every reason to assess the relationship between Russia
and Zimbabwe on the same lines. There is no doubt about their good future,"
he said.

Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister Cde Reuben Marumahoko commended the
relations between the two countries. He said the ties were premised on a
solid foundation in the spirit of true friendship and co-operation dating
back from the days of the liberation struggle.

Cde Marumahoko said Zimbabwe attached great importance to the partnership
with Russia, emphasising the need to broaden the bilateral co-operation in
the economic, technical and cultural fields.

"Zimbabwe appreciates the efforts by the Russian government to enrich our
human resources base through the award of annual scholarships for study in
Russia. Many Zimbabweans from both the public and private sectors have
benefited immensely from these scholarships," he said.

However, Cde Marumahoko noted that the strong political ties that bound the
two countries had not fully translated into the economic sphere as
demonstrated by the low volume of trade between them. — AFP/Herald
Reporters.

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