If a Mugabe victory is deemed rigged, how should Thabo Mbeki respond?

This week’s Talkback question on the Mail & Guardian Online:

If a Mugabe victory is deemed rigged, how should Thabo Mbeki respond?

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  • Zimbabwe special report
  • Have your say by leaving a comment below.

    63 Responses to “If a Mugabe victory is deemed rigged, how should Thabo Mbeki respond?”

    1. Respect the people of Zimbabwe`s confidence in Mugabe.

      April 2, 2008 at 8:19 am
    2. Mark #

      TB needs to assess his own political career and it would be safe to say that it has had its moments both up and down. It is also safe to say that he is very much at the end of the road for his political career, however great politicians are great because of defining moments and defining acts. TB has not had many of these but here is one begging to be grabbed. The spin-offs for SA are huge too and this is where he can leave a legacy or not…… If 3 million Zim citizens had to return home to rebuild, how many jobs would be created? How much relief would be created on government resources? What effect would it have on crime and I am not for one second saying that all Zims are criminals and if it sounded that way I apoligize sincerely, the rising Zenophobia crimes are becoming a problem though and have the capacity to get worse and draw on valuable crime fighting resources desperately needed elsewhere. What effect would a free Zimbabwe and one that will be on the road to recovery have on the economic and investment outlook of the region let alone SA. I do fear that TB may be to slow to act and another leader from the region may steal his thunder. It is better to fail in acting than to fail to act at all.

      April 2, 2008 at 8:44 am
    3. khatu mithu #

      President Mbeki should open his mouth and let President Mugabe put his foot in it. That’s how quiet diplomacy works.

      April 2, 2008 at 3:57 pm
    4. Greville #

      President Mbeki should ask Tony Leon speak on his behalf

      April 3, 2008 at 10:41 am
    5. i dont kthink that it is important to talk about this topic again

      April 3, 2008 at 11:55 am
    6. Tyrone #

      I wonder if Mbeki and Mugabe is an “Item”? I’ve never seen such blind loyalty before. He’s own party’s squeezing him out yet his loyalty remains.
      Mbeki, WAKE UP!!! You were supposed to be there for us, the publick. Not corrupt, selfish, inefficient and totally immorral characters like the ones whose skirts you’ve been hanging on too… Sorry people, I guess T Mbeki has lost the plot, left the building. listen… only his silence remains.

      April 3, 2008 at 12:24 pm
    7. amused reader #

      @ vanani

      you are starting to sound like a typical African leader!

      April 7, 2008 at 7:54 am
    8. Liansky #

      What Mbeki should do is non of M&G’s business. Now if you’d excuse, here is Africans at work and we need to be getting back to being productive.

      April 7, 2008 at 1:28 pm
    9. Broer Bald #

      Diplomacy of any kind means nothing to Mugabe. That is why he is now acting as if there was no election.
      Any effort with this abomination is a wasted one, unless he is forcefully removed by military force on behalf of the majority who voted for change. Decent people the world over, and diplomacy, are completely ineffectual against this tyrant.

      April 9, 2008 at 6:53 pm
    10. Cool Down #

      At last I am able to answer this perplexing
      question.By holding hands of course.Anyone
      who saw Bob and Thabo walking smiling hand in
      hand,demoting Gordon to a mere spot on a global
      map and an all is well, no crisis, thank you,
      would have reached a similar conclusion.

      They are indeed brothers in arms.

      April 13, 2008 at 1:58 pm
    11. Graham Carruthers #

      Thabo’s a spent entity. He’s done nothing previously only empty words. The whole of Africa is a stuff up, thats a fact.

      April 22, 2008 at 5:16 am
    12. DaxLulu #

      The victory was not rigged.

      There was never any crisis in Zimbabwe.

      Selebi? Who’s Selebi.

      Oh, and H.I.V does not cause AIDS.

      May 23, 2008 at 9:48 pm

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