Durban, May 06: South African President Thabo Mbeki has said he is confident that a peaceful solution could be found to Zimbabwe's political problems.
Mbeki, just before leaving Harare after talks with Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe and the main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, said he was hopeful that their
meetings would lead to a settlement.
Two other African leaders, Nigerian President Olusejun Obasanjo and Malawi President Bakili Muluzi, accompanied Mbeki for the talks.
Reports here said the three leaders want Mugabe to be
replaced by a leader of the ruling Zanu-PF Party to form a
transitional government until the next elections in 2005.
Mugabe is understood to have told Mbeki and the other African leaders that he was prepared to consider his early retirement provided the opposition recognised him as the
legitimate leader of Zimbabwe.
However, Tsvangirai has rejected this and called for
elections as soon as possible once Mugabe retired.
Bureau Report
