Mbeki manipulated Zimbabwe’s 2008 election; SA official tells API
Posted by African Press International on April 19, 2012
- By Mkhululi, South Africa
Johannesburg- A top aide and administrator of former ousted SA president Thabo Mbeki recently confirmed to API that the former SA leader played a vital role in rigging Zimbabwe’s 2008 elections after they had no trust in MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai as they perceived him to be ‘unAfrican’. This resulted in the formation of coalition government pioneered by Mbeki after MDC pulled out of the run-off elections citing violence aimed at is faithful supporters by Zanu (PF) which had actual lost first round of elections to Morgan Tsvangirai who led by 49% after the former got 41%.
He further alleges that the former ousted leader helped in splitting the then powerful and unstoppable Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), an opposition party in Zimbabwe. This follows claims by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in his book ‘At the Deep End’ that former SA president Thabo Mbeki helped in dismantling his unstoppable and powerful movement (MDC) in 2005 and denying him victory to state house. According to the book, Prime Minister Tsvangirai, clearly laments Thabo Mbeki’s contribution to the split and fall of his party in 2005 and Welshman Ncube also mentioned at fault for the split in the MDC, and Tsvangirai himself surfaces as a miscalculated man. Ncube, for example, blundered for the split in the MDC, and Tsvangirai himself emerges merely as a misjudged man.
Tsvangirai clearly countersign Thabo Mbeki’s contribution to, and understanding of, the Zimbabwean situation. Mbeki, if ever he wrote his own version of events would ndoubtedly return the favour. There grew a lukewarm accord between the two men, and there was no chemistry between them. This much is acceptable, but Tsvangirai never seeks to interrogate the chemistry that did develop between Mbeki and Mugabe.” The Prime Minister Tsvangirai further sensationally reveal that President Robert Mugabe was ready to hand over power to him after the 2008 elections a move confirmed by the SA official.
“The then State Security minister, Nicholas Goche approached my party with proposals from Mugabe on transfer of power where the 87-year-old was reportedly pleading for concessions,” the book states. In an exclusive interview with AIP, the official speaking on condition of anonymity fearing for his life, he alleges that former president Mbeki never trusted Tsvangirai whom they suspected of working with the British and Americans. He highlights that the intact and powerful MDC posed a threat to Africa. ”MDC was too powerful and posed as a danger to African society. Unfortunately, our administration never trusted Tsvangirai. We knew very well that he was working with Western countries. If allowed to take over power in Zimbabwe then it was going to spell disaster to our continent as he was dealing with wrong people.
We had put him under counter-surveillance and we knew of all about his movements,” he said. Questioned on the necessity of surveillance, the official highlighted that the prime minister was not trusted with power as he was undermining the African agenda by working with western countries. He further agreed that Prime Minister Tsvangirai won the 2008 elections but they made sure that he doesn’t get into power as he didn’t represent African society.
“Tsvangirai was working with the whites; our intelligence always worked on him and we had our proof of that and we didn’t want to invite trouble in our region and we saw it necessary to have a coalition government in Zimbabwe for the time being as we were waiting for him to reform. In 2008 he absolutely won the election but it wasn’t the right time for him to take over the country as he was working with the wrong people,” he said.
The former senior official also claimed that they had arranged for President Robert Mugabe to resign after losing the elections to Tsvangirai- a move his henchmen and uniformed commanders refused. He further alleges that Mugabe was to spend the remaining part of his life either in Namibia after an arrangement with retired president Sam Nujoma or Guinea Bissau.
Cde Mugabe had conceded as he agreed to retire to either Namibia or Guinea but his henchmen and boorish uniformed commanders persuaded him to stay on. Tsvangirai was not an option to take them forward and that is when we settled for a government of national unity which saw both men agreeing to share power,” he added.
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