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If President Zuma is to make any real, sustainable gains in mediating the Zimbabwean situation, President Robert Mugabe must be barred from participating in any future elections. At the end of last month, key role players in the Zimbabwean political negotiations were due to report back to President Zuma on the progress made since the most recent round of talks concerning the failed Global Political Agreement (GPA). Unsurprisingly, they will have had little to say. Talks have deadlocked- primarily over the issue of targeted sanctions. Mugabe's position on these sanctions is based solely on self-interest. His role in the current impasse is like a cancerous tumour that needs to be expunged from the Zimbabwean body politic. The only solution is to cut him out- thereby removing the influence of the tyrannical regime he represents, and creating the opportunity for change to flood the country he has controlled for three decades.

The Zimbabwean political and economic situation remains precarious. Opposition members continue to be harassed, intimidated and brutalized, the state continues to clamp down on detractors and violence is also on the ascendancy- youth training camps have reportedly been established to offer military training to the ZANU-PF youth militia.

These are not the signs of a country making political progress.

Thus far, President Zuma has failed to make any real progress in Zimbabwe - neither during South Africa's term as Chair of SADC, nor in his capacity as a SADC-appointed mediator.

As a member of SADC and as one of Zimbabwe's closest neighbours, South Africa's future is linked closely to that of Zimbabwe. President Zuma's actions have placed both his country's national interest and South African interests abroad in jeopardy.

Most recently, this has been illustrated by two key issues:

Protection of South African business interests in Zimbabwe
Zuma's government has used a recent bilateral trade agreement signed by Zimbabwe and South Africa to allay fears concerning the security of South African business interests in that country. Yet the agreement has no real teeth. The government itself concedes that its value is dependent on the Zimbabwean government keeping up their end of the bargain. Has the South African government deluded itself that this offers enough assurance that national business interests are protected, considering how insignificant Zimbabwean constitutional rights were in safeguarding the property rights of its own citizens?

Land reform in South Africa
The President has failed to take a decisive stand against Mugabe's devastating policies of indigenization and land reform. Now, similar calls are being made in South Africa for broad-scale nationalization of land. By refusing to tackle Mugabe's regime on the policies that have led to a national food crisis, violence, disease and political and economic instability, President Zuma has opened the door for such dangerous discussions to be initiated in South Africa - with potentially devastating long term economic repercussions.

Do not make the same mistakes as South African Presidents before you, Mr President. Do not follow the same policy of appeasement and expect a different outcome. Real change is going to require bold moves. Do not let the lore of Mugabe dictate the fate of his country, and our own.