South African President Thabo Mbeki expressed his belief that Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe will resign peacefully, stating that the main challenge for the region is to ensure free and fair elections in Zimbabwe next year. Mbeki, who was appointed by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to lead mediation efforts in Zimbabwe, made these comments in an interview with the Financial Times on Tuesday. When asked if Mugabe, who has been accused of electoral misconduct and economic mismanagement by the opposition, would eventually step down, Mbeki confidently stated that he believed he would. In an interview, it was mentioned that President Mugabe and the leadership of ZANU-PF believe they are governing a democratic country, evidenced by the presence of an elected opposition and their ability to run municipal governments in Harare and Bulawayo. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) appointed Mbeki as a mediator between Mugabe and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) following a violent crackdown on political opponents by the Zimbabwe government. Despite suggestions that Zimbabwe's neighbors could enforce change in the country, the South African leader stated that they do not have the power to do so alone, but a collaborative effort by African leaders could lead to a resolution. Mbeki stated that he has been in communication with both of the MDC's main factions and ZANU-PF to establish a negotiating framework for the upcoming elections, in which Mugabe has already been chosen as the ZANU-PF candidate. Mbeki mentioned that the future discussions will likely focus on MDC requests for legal and electoral reforms, such as media and security laws that critics believe Mugabe has used to maintain his power in the country. He explained that the MDC is likely to bring up issues like media legislation and laws regarding public gatherings, and that ZANU-PF will need to address these concerns. Mbeki suggested that eventually both parties may need to come together to decide on actions that will create a favorable environment for free and fair elections. The main leader of the MDC, Morgan Tsvangirai, stated in Johannesburg that he would be open to participating in any election that is guaranteed to be free and fair. However, he emphasized that quick action from Mbeki is necessary to create the right conditions for such an election. The SADC, criticized in Western countries for overlooking Mugabe's crackdown, is hopeful that Mbeki's appointment will result in direct negotiations between Mugabe and the MDC, despite previous failed attempts to reach a political agreement. The West accuses Mugabe, who has been in power since Zimbabwe gained independence from Britain in 1980, of ruling authoritatively and mismanaging the economy. Mugabe claims that he is being punished for redistributing white-owned farms to landless black individuals.