Mujuru in secret marathon meetings with SA VP

Mujuru in secret marathon meetings with SA VP

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From Japhet Ncube in Johannesburg

SOUTH African deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka last week twice secretly met with her Zimbabwean counterpart Joyce Mujuru over the worsening political and economic crisis in that country.

Diplomatic sources revealed that Mlambo-Ngcuka and Mujuru met
at the posh Westcliff hotel in Johannesburg on Friday morning, and again on Saturday from 11am until about 5pm.

South African presidential spokesperson Thabang Chiloane confirmed the meeting, but insisted it was "private", and maintained that Mujuru was not in the country on official visit.

It was only "a matter of protocol" that Mlambo-Ngcuka had called on the Zimbabwean deputy leader, he insisted.

"If it was a government thing it would have happened at a government guest house," said Chiloane.

There was no immediate comment from Zimbabwean government officials.

Analysts believe Mujuru's meeting with Ngcuka, coming in the wake of the brutal beatings of several opposition leaders two weeks ago, including MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai, could be "a watershed" in SA's bid to stop the crisis in Zimbabwe.

SA is under increasing pressure to abandon its quiet diplomacy on
Zimbabwe and speak out against increasing human rights abuses by
President Mugabe's regime.

Mujuru, touted as one of Mugabe's possible successors, and believed to belong to one of the two factions of the ruling Zanu PF party opposed to Mugabe's continued grip on power, was in SA accompanied by her husband, retired army chief Solomon Mujuru.

It was not clear if the former army boss was in the meetings, but a source said Mlambo-Ngcuka had driven "alone" from Pretoria to meet Mujuru on Friday, and again on Saturday.

A receptionist at the hotel confirmed that the Mujurus were guests at the hotel and that they would be staying until Tuesday.

Meanwhile, diplomatic sources maintained Sunday that it was "highly unlikely" that Mugabe would have sent Mujuru to meet Mlambo-Ngcuka, "considering that Joyce is from a faction of Zanu PF that Mugabe despises and has been publicly attacking".

"South Africa asked for the meeting," said a source. "Mbeki asked than the women talk first, and if they can't come up with something concrete, then he himself would arrange to meet Mugabe."

He added; "If it was Mugabe's decision, he would have preferred someone like Nathan Shamuyarira (Zanu PF spokesperson who was in SA two weeks ago on a different mission). He does not trust Mujuru."

That she had travelled to the secret meetings with her husband, who is thought to be behind her presidential ambitions, has strengthened the theory that Mugabe had not sent her, but had "merely" given in to SA's request for a deputy president to deputy president meeting.

A few weeks ago Mugabe met Mbeki in Accra, Ghana, on the sidelines of the West African country's 50th independence celebrations, but details of the closed-door talks have not been made public.

A source claims that this weekend's meetings may have been mooted there.

Although this is not the first time Mujuru and Mlambo-Ngcuka have met, her visit in the backdrop of the worsening crisis in Zimbabwe is seen in diplomatic circles as yet another attempt by SA to engage the Mugabe regime.

To watch a Channel 4 report on the Ngcuka/Mujuru meeting, CLICK HERE. When page opens, click on WATCH THE REPORT

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