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Africa's appointed mediator for the crisis in Zimbabwe, South African President Thabo Mbeki says he will seek conciliation talks but not regime change.
In an interview with the Financial Times of London, Mbeki said his goal was to get Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his political pro-democracy rivals, especially the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, Morgan Tsvangirai, talking rather than having violent street demonstrations.
"President Mugabe and the leadership of (his) Zanu-PF (party) believe they are running a democratic country," Mbeki said. "You might question whether these elections are genuinely free and fair ... but we have to get the Zimbabweans talking so we do have elections that are free and fair."
Mbeki ruled out sanctions such as cutting power supplies, saying it would only cause more suffering.
More than 80 percent of Zimbabweans live in poverty and inflation is the highest in the world at more than 1,700 percent, the BBC said.
Tuesday, Zimbabwe's Congress of Trades Unions called a two-day national strike, demanding Mugabe address the worsening economic situation.
In an interview with the Financial Times of London, Mbeki said his goal was to get Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his political pro-democracy rivals, especially the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, Morgan Tsvangirai, talking rather than having violent street demonstrations.
"President Mugabe and the leadership of (his) Zanu-PF (party) believe they are running a democratic country," Mbeki said. "You might question whether these elections are genuinely free and fair ... but we have to get the Zimbabweans talking so we do have elections that are free and fair."
Mbeki ruled out sanctions such as cutting power supplies, saying it would only cause more suffering.
More than 80 percent of Zimbabweans live in poverty and inflation is the highest in the world at more than 1,700 percent, the BBC said.
Tuesday, Zimbabwe's Congress of Trades Unions called a two-day national strike, demanding Mugabe address the worsening economic situation.
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