IOL
1st November 2000
Harare – Nelson Mandela could play a critical role in working out a plan for the early exit from power of Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe, a top Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) opposition politician said on Wednesday.
“I think that Mandela has a critical role to play in developing an exit strategy for Robert Mugabe,” said David Coltart, legal affairs secretary for the opposition MDC.
Coltart said Mandela should be able to “convince” Mugabe and broker talks between the two opposing political forces in the country – the MDC and the governing Zimbabwe Africa National Union-Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) – that the head of state should leave office before presidential elections, due to be held in 2002.
“If we are to avoid a bloodbath, unfortunately we are going to have to engage in practical politics in this country, we have to work out an exit strategy for Robert Mugabe and his henchmen, and Mandela plays a big role in this regard,” Coltart told a news conference
MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai met Mandela in late September and asked him to get Mugabe to leave office before his presidential term ends in 2002.
The MDC last week launched impeachment proceedings to remove Mugabe from office on allegations of gross misconduct and violations of the constitution.