Confusion over Commonwealth meeting

London’s Financial Times, quoting south African officials, reported that Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe, has agreed to allow a top-level group of Commonwealth ministers to help resolve his country’s rapidly deteriorating economic and political crisis. The proposed initiative is expected to focus on the controversial question of land redistribution to landless black farmers, how to finance it, and how to ensure that it is conducted in a legal and orderly manner, as well as on Zimbabwe’s wider economic plight. The new plan for Commonwealth intervention would involve seven members of the organisation, including South Africa, Britain, Nigeria and Zimbabwe itself, according to the officials. Others proposed are Australia, Kenya and Jamaica, although the plan has yet to be approved by all the countries most closely concerned. It is hoped a first meeting will be held early next month, to be convened by Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the South African foreign minister, whose country is currently in the Commonwealth chair. But on Saturday, Reuters quoted Mugabe’s spokesman as saying that he was not aware of any talks around letting a Commonwealth team come to Zimbabwe. “We are not aware of any such development,” the spokesman said.