ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe's ruling party dismissed as "wishful thinking" yesterday claims that two senior officials offered to deliver President Robert Mugabe's resignation in an effort to end the deepening national crisis.
Opposition leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai said on Sunday that army chief of staff Gen Vitalis Zvinavashe and the speaker of parliament, Mr Emerson Mnangagwa, had offered Mr Mugabe's early retirement in return for immunity from prosecution and the formation of a government of national unity.
But yesterday the claim was fogged by a series of denials. Mr Mnangagwa, a notorious figure in Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF party, told a South African radio station that it was "all lies". The Zanu-PF information secretary, Mr Nathan Shamuyarira, described it as "a mixture of wishful thinking and mischief on the part of the British". And Mr Tsvangirai's own party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), said that all talks with Zanu-PF were off.
Nevertheless there was some evidence to back Mr Tsvangirai's claim, which has fuelled previously unthinkable speculation that Mr Mugabe might step down early in the face of his country's escalating national crisis.
Mr Mugabe (78) was re-elected last March following a deeply flawed poll marred by vote rigging and violence.
Last month Zanu-PF issued a statement saying that he would remain in office until his term expires in 2006.
But Mr Tsvangirai says that around the same time he was approached by a retired white army officer, Col Lionel Dyck, who was acting on behalf of the two Zanu-PF powerbrokers. Mr Mnangagwa is tipped as Mr Mugabe's preferred successor while Gen Zvinavashe once made veiled threats of army mutiny if the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) ever came to power.
UN reports have accused Mr Mnangagwa of participating in the plunder of the Congo through Zimbabwe's military operations there.
According to Mr Tsvangirai, the two men offered to secure Mr Mugabe's resignation because they realised he was "the main stumbling block" to rescuing Zimbabwe from unprecedented disaster.
However, Mr Tsvangirai rejected the proposal, saying he feared it was a trap to divide the MDC. Any negotiations would have to take place in a transparent forum.
But he added that he believed negotiation offered the best solution to Zimbabwe's crisis. And he was prepared to discuses an amnesty for Mr Mugabe - a U-turn on his earlier position that the ageing autocrat should be held accountable for the human rights abuses of his 23-year rule.
"Circumstances dictate behaviour," he said. "The country is on its knees." Col Dyck made no public statement but sources said he has privately confirmed that the approach was made.
He fears that he may be prosecuted for treason under recent draconian legislation that forbids criticism of the President.