Bush Visit Sees Welcome Consensus on Zim.

(From Zimbabwe Independent - AAGM)

PRESIDENT George W Bush leaves Africa this weekend hopefully better informed about the myriad problems the continent faces. He cannot be accused of lacking enthusiasm. He has committed his government to billions of US dollars in aid and trade which far exceeds anything the Clinton administration attempted.

And as well as promoting a now-familiar US agenda on governance, he listened to what other leaders had to say. In particular he built on ties already forged at past meetings with South African president Thabo Mbeki.

Of interest to us was of course their talks on Zimbabwe. Even before his arrival on Tuesday, Bush was signalling his preparedness to defer to Mbeki, on the grounds that Zimbabwe's powerful neighbour stood a better chance of success in prodding the obdurate Robert Mugabe from an office he shouldn't be occupying.

The two leaders pronounced they were …