President Mbeki's Comments on Zimbabwe: MDC Decision to pull out of Presidential run-off Election - 22 June 2008

NOTE: President Mbeki has up to now not released a formal statement on this issue. The following are news reports of Mr Mbeki's comments in reply to a media question at the Mpumalanga Presidential Imbizo on Sunday 22 June 2008.

PRES MBEKI HOPES ZIMBABWE PARTIES WILL TALK Sapa, 20080622

President Thabo Mbeki hopes that Zimbabwe's main political parties will continue talks after the opposition leader announced on Sunday that he was pulling out of the country's run-off election.

"I would hope that that leadership would still be open to a process which would result in them coming to some agreement about what happens to their country," Mbeki told the SABC during an imbizo in Mpumalanga. 

"And that most certainly is something which we would try to encourage," he added.

PRES MBEKI URGES ZIMBABWE LEADERS TO FIND SOLUTION
SABC NEWS, 20080622

The SADC-appointed Zimbabwe mediator, President Thabo Mbeki, says it is still necessary for the political leadership in Zimbabwe to get together to find a solution to the challenges that face that country.

"I would hope that the leadership would still be open to a process which would result in them coming to some agreement about what happens to their country, and most certainly it's what we would try to encourage," says Pres. Mbeki.

Statement issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Pretoria, June 23 2008