My OperaZimbabwe-President Zuma to jet in for talks
Wednesday, December 9, 2009 3:33:50 PM
President Zuma to jet in for talks
Friday 4 December, 2009
HARARE - South Africa President Jacob Zuma is expected to arrive in Harare Sunday for talks with the three principals in Zimbabwe’s inclusive government in a fresh bid to meet a December 6 deadline set by regional leaders to force a quick resolution of the power-sharing dispute threatening to derail the nine-month old inclusive administration.
President Zuma was tasked by the Southern African regional bloc to mediate between the ruling MDC and two other opposition parties co-opted into the inclusive government. President Zuma last weekend dispatched his new team of facilitators to Harare to gather facts on the ongoing talks that resumed at the behest of SADC, finally ending former President Thabo Mbeki’s role in the mediation process – and the abandonment of the discredited quiet diplomacy that characterized the Mbeki approach.
The team, which was in Zimbabwe Monday on a one-day fact finding mission, met with President Morgan Tsvangirai, Mr Robert Mugabe and leader of the breakaway MDC faction Arthur Mutambara, together with negotiators from the three parties.
The team left Zimbabwe on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, the facilitation team, led by President Zuma’s long time ally in the African National Congress, Mac Maharaj, who is a speciale for this mission and Charles Nqakula, former Safety and Security Minister and now the South Africa President’s political advisor; and Presidential advisor on international relations Lindiwe Zulu, presented a progress report on the negotiations to the South
African President.
“We have presented a report of the findings of our visit to Harare to President Zuma who will know how to proceed,” Zulu said. She did not disclose what was contained in the report.
It is expected that President Zuma will adopt a robust approach and will insist on results by December 6, the date set by the SADC Organ Troika for the compilation of the progress report to be presented to the Troika chairperson, President Armando Guebuza of Mozambique.
The ongoing talks follow the MDC’s October disengagement from all forums it interacted with Zanu PF. The party only suspended the disengagement three weeks later after mediation by the SADC. The special summit of the SADC’s special organ on security, defence and politics met in the Mozambique capital, Maputo last month and resolved that Zimbabwe’s political leaders engage in dialogue within 15 days and no later than 30 days, which 30 days elapse on December 5, to resolve all outstanding issues in the implementation of the global political agreement (GPA). President Tsvangirai has accused Mugabe of being a “dishonest and unreliable partner” for refusing to implement the power-sharing pact fully, particularly regarding senior appointments such as the pilfering central bank governor Gideon Gono, the partisan Attorney-General Johannes
Tomana, the appointment of provincial governors and permanent secretaries as well as the swearing-in of deputy Agriculture minister designate, Hon Roy Bennett, among other issues.
The MDC also accuses Zanu PF of persecuting its officials and holding back media and constitutional reforms which are vital for democratising the country and the holding free and fair elections in about two-year period stipulated in the GPA.
Mugabe continues to mislead the people that he has met his end of the bargain and ridiculously wants the MDC to campaign for the lifting of Western imposed restrictive measures against his Zanu PF allies, which are essentially shopping sanctions, including travel restrictions and an embargo on gunrunning with Zimbabwe.
The three negotiating teams have held intermittent talks. They began meeting last week Monday, met again Tuesday and Wednesday last week and then adjourned until the weekend because members had other commitments on Thursday and Friday.
Talks resumed on Saturday and continued until lunchtime Sunday.
The talks continued Monday with the South Africa facilitation team but adjourned to make way for Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s address to Parliament on Tuesday. The talks were also put on ice on Wednesday because of the presentation of the pro-poor national budget by Finance minister Hon Tendai
Biti and the Zanu PF Politburo meeting held earlier on the same day.
The Changing Times heard that the talks were resuming Thursday.
Secrecy has been maintained over the talks venue, and there has been no reliable indication on whether or not progress is being made.
But it has been indicated privately that the disputed appointments of the Attorney-General and the Governor of the Reserve Bank are being left to the end of the 21 item agenda in an effort to make progress on other issues.
Zanu PF is reportedly reluctant to fulfil the terms and spirit of the GPA prior to its Congress, now set for next week Tuesday.
As the political crisis has festered on because of Zanu PF’s reluctance to implement the pact in full, hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans have fled the country, many crossing over the borders into neighbouring states of South Africa, Zambia and Botswana. International donors are reluctant to pump in billions of dollars to rebuild the country until stable, democratic government implements political and economic reforms.
Friday 4 December, 2009
HARARE - South Africa President Jacob Zuma is expected to arrive in Harare Sunday for talks with the three principals in Zimbabwe’s inclusive government in a fresh bid to meet a December 6 deadline set by regional leaders to force a quick resolution of the power-sharing dispute threatening to derail the nine-month old inclusive administration.
President Zuma was tasked by the Southern African regional bloc to mediate between the ruling MDC and two other opposition parties co-opted into the inclusive government. President Zuma last weekend dispatched his new team of facilitators to Harare to gather facts on the ongoing talks that resumed at the behest of SADC, finally ending former President Thabo Mbeki’s role in the mediation process – and the abandonment of the discredited quiet diplomacy that characterized the Mbeki approach.
The team, which was in Zimbabwe Monday on a one-day fact finding mission, met with President Morgan Tsvangirai, Mr Robert Mugabe and leader of the breakaway MDC faction Arthur Mutambara, together with negotiators from the three parties.
The team left Zimbabwe on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, the facilitation team, led by President Zuma’s long time ally in the African National Congress, Mac Maharaj, who is a speciale for this mission and Charles Nqakula, former Safety and Security Minister and now the South Africa President’s political advisor; and Presidential advisor on international relations Lindiwe Zulu, presented a progress report on the negotiations to the South
African President.
“We have presented a report of the findings of our visit to Harare to President Zuma who will know how to proceed,” Zulu said. She did not disclose what was contained in the report.
It is expected that President Zuma will adopt a robust approach and will insist on results by December 6, the date set by the SADC Organ Troika for the compilation of the progress report to be presented to the Troika chairperson, President Armando Guebuza of Mozambique.
The ongoing talks follow the MDC’s October disengagement from all forums it interacted with Zanu PF. The party only suspended the disengagement three weeks later after mediation by the SADC. The special summit of the SADC’s special organ on security, defence and politics met in the Mozambique capital, Maputo last month and resolved that Zimbabwe’s political leaders engage in dialogue within 15 days and no later than 30 days, which 30 days elapse on December 5, to resolve all outstanding issues in the implementation of the global political agreement (GPA). President Tsvangirai has accused Mugabe of being a “dishonest and unreliable partner” for refusing to implement the power-sharing pact fully, particularly regarding senior appointments such as the pilfering central bank governor Gideon Gono, the partisan Attorney-General Johannes
Tomana, the appointment of provincial governors and permanent secretaries as well as the swearing-in of deputy Agriculture minister designate, Hon Roy Bennett, among other issues.
The MDC also accuses Zanu PF of persecuting its officials and holding back media and constitutional reforms which are vital for democratising the country and the holding free and fair elections in about two-year period stipulated in the GPA.
Mugabe continues to mislead the people that he has met his end of the bargain and ridiculously wants the MDC to campaign for the lifting of Western imposed restrictive measures against his Zanu PF allies, which are essentially shopping sanctions, including travel restrictions and an embargo on gunrunning with Zimbabwe.
The three negotiating teams have held intermittent talks. They began meeting last week Monday, met again Tuesday and Wednesday last week and then adjourned until the weekend because members had other commitments on Thursday and Friday.
Talks resumed on Saturday and continued until lunchtime Sunday.
The talks continued Monday with the South Africa facilitation team but adjourned to make way for Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s address to Parliament on Tuesday. The talks were also put on ice on Wednesday because of the presentation of the pro-poor national budget by Finance minister Hon Tendai
Biti and the Zanu PF Politburo meeting held earlier on the same day.
The Changing Times heard that the talks were resuming Thursday.
Secrecy has been maintained over the talks venue, and there has been no reliable indication on whether or not progress is being made.
But it has been indicated privately that the disputed appointments of the Attorney-General and the Governor of the Reserve Bank are being left to the end of the 21 item agenda in an effort to make progress on other issues.
Zanu PF is reportedly reluctant to fulfil the terms and spirit of the GPA prior to its Congress, now set for next week Tuesday.
As the political crisis has festered on because of Zanu PF’s reluctance to implement the pact in full, hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans have fled the country, many crossing over the borders into neighbouring states of South Africa, Zambia and Botswana. International donors are reluctant to pump in billions of dollars to rebuild the country until stable, democratic government implements political and economic reforms.
