Zim crisis affecting WC 2010 preparation

  1. Posted on Thursday 10 July 2008 - 07:52
    Mugadza
    Mugadza Munyaradzi, AfricaNews reporter in Harare, Zimbabwe
    The political crisis in Zimbabwe is adding to the to the long list of problems South Africa is facing in its preparation for World Cup 2010, including security concerns. FIFA's secretary general Jerome Valcke urged on Wednesday president Thabo Mbeki to find a quick solution
    Lucas Radebe
    ‘It would have been nice for South Africa, with all the other challenges they are facing, not to have the problem of Zimbabwe on top of it all. We add our voice to concerns and we fully support what is being done by all international organizations,’ Valcke said.

    FIFA President Sepp Blatter last week said the political impasse in Zimbabwe was likely to affect the World Cup because some of the teams were likely to use Zimbabwe for camping as well as training.

    Blatter said the mediation efforts being executed by the South African President were not yielding anything. The mediation failure by president Mbeki has prompted the opposition MDC to ask for an expanded mediation team that may end Zimbabwe’s suffering under the Mugabe regime.

    President Mbeki have for the couple of months been criticized for his quiet diplomacy and at the recent G8 meeting in Japan, president Mbeki shielded Zimbabwe from a harder stance from the European forces.

    However, President Mbeki and the European powers are clashing psychologically were Zimbabwe is their trophy because Mbeki wants a soft stance on Robert Mugabe while the EU wants a harder stance because of Mugabe’s atrocities against his own people.

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