Tanzanian leader meets Mugabe amid crisis

Tanzanian leader meets Mugabe amid crisis

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By Staff Reporter

TANZANIAN President Jakaya Kikwete flew to meet Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe on Thursday amid global outrage over a government crackdown that led to the detention of opposition leaders amid allegations that they were tortured.

“President Jakaya Kikwete has left this morning to go to Harare, Zimbabwe on a one-day working visit. While there, he will hold talks with his host, President Robert Mugabe,” said a statement from State House, which gave no further details.

Tanzania is currently one of a troika of nations in Southern Africa’s regional bloc SADC charged with dealing with Zimbabwe’s political crisis. The other members are Namibia and Lesotho.

Professor Jonathan Moyo, a political scientist and Independent MP speculated that Kikwete had been sent by regional leaders to talk Mugabe out of his plan to extend his stay in power.

Moyo said: "I think this trip is at the behest of regional leaders, including South Africa. They want to make it clear that Zimbabwe's interests would be better served if Mugabe announced a time table of his departure.

"Tanzania is responsible for the security arm of SADC, and I am sure Kikwete would be making security guarantees that Zimbabwe would not be allowed to slide into anarchy and Mugabe's exit plan would be firmly supported."

Images of beaten opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai going to court after his arrest on Sunday prompted condemnation from several countries, including the US which has said it was looking at what other sanctions it might impose on Harare.

Despite the criticism, the government has vowed to silence dissent amid rising tensions stemming from plans by 83-year-old Mugabe to further extend his almost three-decade rule and a deepening economic crisis.

Mugabe’s government accuses Tsvangirai, the head of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), and his supporters of inciting violence to overthrow the administration.

African Union Chairman John Kufuor said the continent’s leaders were "embarrassed" by the situation in Zimbabwe, but efforts to help had met with resistance from Harare.

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