Dumisani Muleya and Hopewell Radebe
1 July 2008
Johannesburg — PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki appears to be on the verge of a breakthrough in mediating Zimbabwe's political and economic crisis, after his envoys secured promises of talks on a power-sharing deal between President Robert Mugabe and his rival, Morgan Tsvangirai.
Mbeki's possible solution — after eight years of failed attempts — was the major talking point on the sidelines of the African Union (AU) summit which opened in Egypt yesterday, diplomatic sources said.
The plan involves getting Mugabe and Tsvangirai to work together to implement agreements between Zanu (PF) and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) made in January. These include a new constitution and other reforms.
Sources said Mbeki had proposed that the new constitution be adopted through a referendum or a select parliamentary committee which would involve all three parties. They said Mbeki's suggestion is that parliament processes the draft. Parliament would then sit in a plenary, and acting as a "committee of the whole", endorse the draft that would later be referred to a referendum.
Mbeki's envoys, Local Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi and his legal adviser, Mojanku Gumbi, secured commitments from Mugabe and Tsvangirai that they would enter negotiations on the deal.
Mbeki's spokesman, Mukoni Ratshitanga, yesterday confirmed the envoys' visit to Harare, but could not give details of their feedback to Mbeki.
"As you would appreciate, this was a confidential briefing intended only for the president."
Mufamadi was unavailable to comment last night.
However, Business Day understands that SA was still pursuing the idea of getting a face-to-face meeting between Mugabe and Tsvangirai in a bid to convince the AU and the world there had been movement from both sides. Diplomatic sources close to the facilitation group said there was growing pressure from the AU leadership, who want to know the details of the mediation and talks.
A source said the AU was likely to take SA's facilitation efforts seriously if Zanu (PF) and the MDC were to commit to comprehensive "Sun City-type" talks such as those that led to peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, the challenge facing Mbeki was that his regional counterparts no longer took Mugabe at his word.
However, sources said Mbeki's envoys were working closely with both parties on the details. It is understood the key question is what role Tsvangirai will have in Mugabe's government.
Tsvangirai has suggested he becomes prime minister, while Mugabe becomes a ceremonial president. However, Mugabe wants to remain in charge with Tsvangirai in a significant ministerial position or a watered-down premiership role.
It is also understood that the post of prime minister has become hotly contested because Mugabe's key allies, Emmerson Mnangagwa and Gideon Gono, want the position.
Details of the anticipated deal were used yesterday to bridge some of the divisions within the AU on the Zimbabwe issue, diplomatic sources said.
It is understood Mbeki succeeded in keeping the issue under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) after flagging a possible deal.
Some AU leaders and the MDC want the African body directly involved in negotiations through an envoy.
Sources said Mbeki, however, wanted to keep the Zimbabwe issue under SADC auspices and his control.
They also said Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma last week told US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice a deal was close.
Tsvangirai's deputy, Thokozani Khupe, who attended the AU pre-summit conference in Egypt at the weekend, said SA's delegation had lobbied AU ministers to support Mbeki's deal and that Dlamini-Zuma had said the SADC was about to strike a deal, but the MDC was unaware of any deal.
Mugabe's spokesman, George Charamba, said at the summit a deal was in the offing.
"The South African foreign minister on Saturday — in a meeting with other foreign ministers — placed it in on record that she, on behalf of the SADC, can confirm that they are nearing a deal where we will have a power-sharing arrangement because the results of the March 29 election did not yield a clear winner," he said.
"Based on that, the AU is supposed to trust the SADC to deliver a solution to Zimbabwe," Charamba said.
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Unity Deal? Look at what happened to Joshua Nkomo of the ZAPU party in the 80s and you'll realize that with Mugabe, there is no "unity". Mugabe has play the unity card before and always won while his so called unity "partners" had to leave the country or die. Just look back at Mugabe's history and you'll see the answer to any unity scheme.
Magabe should be awarded a masters degree in murder,bullying and most recently intimidation[look at the AU summit in Egypt].Mugabe is a professional in intimidating people.First his nation,UK,SADC and then the AU.Mr Mandela has to be commended for his straight to the bone comments about Zimbabwe.Let's not forget former achirbishop Desmond Tutu as well.
How can the Business Day come out with such a sensational headline when the MDC do not know of any such deal. Surely they must be biased in support of Mbeki and what he is doing so as to continue with the "Second phase of the Revolution" and how can an SA minister inform Rice that a deal is eminent
It is one step in the right direction only if: 1.The deal does not take the whole population of the political parties like what happened in Kenya. 2.The interests of the Zimbabwean people are on the forefront/point of focus. 3.The constitution of Zimbabwe is amended as a matter of urgency. 4.Fresh elections are held within 12 months. 5.Furthermore,Uncle Bob abondons his dirty tricks of terrorising people to support him. 6.The mediator be as neutral as can be possible. if those can be observed,then a solution might be found.
I can’t believe that anyone would even consider Gono or Munangwagwa viable candidates for Prime minister or that people still pander to the whims of a clearly exposed tyrant like Mugabe. This transitional government or unity government thing is a slap in the face of the people of Zimbabwe who will be asked to put up with more of the same incompetence from the sae discredited individuals. What a joke! And you call it a breakthrough. This is nothing more than abject failure
Besides ranting insults at his Excellency, the President of Great Zimbabwe, Robert Gabriel Mugabe, do you have alternative postive solutions other than your desire to see wars in africa?? Clearly you are an ALP (air lift person) ... a person who loves to see wars and conflicts exploding in other lands. Not in Europe!!!You know that you would be air lifted to safety in the event of war in Zimbabwe or whereever. You are so irrational and patronising. ... a common denominator in missionaries, be they political, business, or religious. If Africans were frogs your type would keep them… [Read Full Text]
'Power-sharing', under the Mugabe administration, would be nothing more than cutting a few people in on the spoils. The sad destruction of Zimbabwe by its original liberator would continue unabated.
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akaphunde.....go back home to your toture camp/militia base.....that one right outside Gweru....your skills in lying and murder are being called for.