Zim Blues
It’s just not Thabo Mbeki’s week is it? He’s facing an uprising within the ANC at home and it seems he might be facing another embarassment, this time abroad. It has become clear that the ‘quiet diplomacy’ with Zimbabwe that the Mbeki administration has pursued has been something of a failure.
For Mbeki, who has spent an inordinate amount of time trying to resolve disputes outside SA’s borders, this has got to sting. First of all the ‘quiet diplomacy’ approach has been criticised from the beginning by many but government persisted that they were doing the right thing. Secondly it’s a failure right on our doorstop and a failure that has meant 2 million Zimbabwean refugees in the country adding to the pressure on social services especially in urban areas. Thirdly it’s a failure for Minister of Foreign Affairs Nkosasana Dlamini-Zuma, who has bascially become invisible in her role and seemingly ceded most of her duties to Mbeki. Considering that she is considered by some as a contender for president (especially with Mbeki’s ‘woman president’ quote) a big foul up like this will reduce her standing.
I’m not sure what Mbeki can do now. Coming out vocally against Robert Mugabe at this point in time is too little too late. All he can hope for at the moment is for Zimbabwe’s Zanu-PF to take Mugabe out of power.
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