Commonwealth Secretary-General arrives

Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon arrived in Harare on Monday for talks with President Robert Mugabe on pre-election violence which has claimed a score of lives during the past two months.

His arrival follows a speech by Mugabe in which he called for an end to the violence on more than 700 white-armed farms occupied by war veterans and supporters of his ruling ZANU-PF party. The killing of a fourth white farmer, who died on Sunday after being short last week, brought to at least 20 the number of people killed in the violence. The majority of those who lost their lives were activists of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

“I am sure that the president will tell me of his concerns,” McKinnon told a news conference at Harare airport. “For my part I will convey the Commonwealth’s concerns regarding the developments of the past two months. I wouldn’t say I am carrying a big stick.”

McKinnon said he wanted to discuss parliamentary election due to be held by August this year. “I hope that our discussions will help towards creating an environment conducive to a free and fair electoral process,” he said.

Neither Mugabe, who has accused the Commonwealth of adopting a hectoring and patronising attitude, nor any other senior officials greeted McKinnon at the airport because a cabinet meeting was underway. McKinnon is also expected during his two-day visit also to meet the MDC which said it would urge him to pressure the Commonwealth to send election monitors speedily to Zimbabwe.