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The Times - Mugabe’s joke is no laughing matter
Is Thabo Mbeki’s quiet diplomacy’ part of the running gag in Zimbabwe? By Tim Hames

This is the moment to be ready to adopt the only course of action that might humiliate Mr Mbeki into finally taking decisive measures. Britain should overtly open a direct dialogue about Zimbabwe with Jacob Zuma, the South African President’s deputy, the man who recently defeated him for control over the ANC and hence his heir apparent. Mr Zuma is not the most appealing of men, with accusations of corruption as well as sexual impropriety surrounding him, but on the Zimbabwe matter he is a comparative pragmatist and does not seem to believe that Mr Mugabe is owed any favours for his stance in the 1970s.

Mr Zuma would relish the chance to take centre stage and emerge as Zimbabwe’s saviour and a regional statesman, 12 months before he prepares to assume the presidency. That this would profoundly embarrass Mr Mbeki, whom he loathes, would be an added bonus. It would also allow him to rebuild personal links with his own business community which has been desperately lobbying for something to be done about the economic damage being done to South Africa by Zimbabwe’s collapse.

Zimbabwe and Africa cannot afford Mr Mugabe to be in office a year hence. If he is, then the exodus of people, perhaps two million more, will reduce what little is left of the country to total destitution. The task of salvaging its economy would be all but impossible. Zimbabwe’s very last hope depends upon a transfer of power in the next few weeks. The idea that the MDC has stolen the parliamentary election might be side-splittingly funny. The notion of Mr Mugabe carrying on, by contrast, is no joke.

Grand. Let’s prop up one jerk early to help us deal with another jerk late. All because of a really big jerk no one else really wants to deal with.