Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Mabasa Sasa
13 August 2008
Harare — PRESIDENT Mugabe and MDC leader Arthur Mutambara yesterday reached an agreement paving the way for Cde Mugabe to form the next Government.
Although MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai did not sign, it was expected that negotiations would continue until he appended his signature to the agreement.
South Africa’s President Thabo Mbeki, who has been facilitating the negotiations, is expected to issue a statement today.
Insiders last night said Tsvangirai refused to append his signature to the political settlement after being advised to only proceed with the talks after a "cooling-off period".
The insiders indicated that Tsvangirai had been changing positions during the talks and that he had even misled his negotiators who had been meeting in South Africa over the past three weeks.
However, the sources said, this did not mean that the talks had been concluded and President Mugabe and Mutambara were still willing to talk to Tsvangirai.
"President Mugabe and the leader of the opposition MDC have signed the agreement. Tsvangirai refused to do so at the last moment, but this does not affect progress.
"The principals of the other two parties have agreed that they cannot wait any longer and the nation demands progress. As such, President Mugabe will go ahead and form the next Government and Parliament will soon sit.
"President Mbeki understands that the negotiations cannot be stalled any longer," one of the insiders revealed.
He said President Mbeki would be flying to Angola today to brief the Sadc Organ on Politics, Defence and Security on the progress of the talks.
Angolan President Eduardo dos Santos is the current chair of the organ.
"President Mbeki will brief Angola as the chair of the organ on defence. The negotiators found it unfortunate that Tsvangirai pulled out at the eleventh hour, but the talks are not over."
It is understood that the three party leaders had been appending their signatures to agreements as they were reached in the presence of President Mbeki .
However, yesterday Tsvangirai reportedly came to the talks with a new position paper that overruled the agreements that had already been reached and this did not go down well with any of the negotiators, including those from his own party.
It is believed that the new position paper was compiled by a Western embassy and that it was deliberately tabled to force a deadlock.
The sources said the document, a copy of which was shown to The Herald and is titled Notes on the Dialogue to Date, sought to repudiate agreements reached thus far.
In it, Tsvangirai states that the basis for any negotiations is the inconclusive March 29 election — a position that the West has been vocally advocating.
"After presenting it, he could not even defend it and this led the parties to the negotiations to believe that he was not its author.
"The paper came as a surprise even to Tsvangirai’s negotiators and everyone objected to its introduction as it sought to override the agreements that had already been reached by the three parties.
"It seemed that reason would prevail for the sake of progress, but at the last minute Tsvangirai declined to sign. That is why you saw (Tendai) Biti saying afterwards that he was confident the negotiations would continue.
"The fear is that Tsvangirai might take too long to sign the agreement, in which case the other two parties will simply go ahead and form the next Government," the source said.
Biti, who is Tsvangirai’s secretary-general, told the media that there were "sticking points" but the talks were likely to continue.
"The talks have not collapsed. We are on a time-out and we are most likely to continue tomorrow (today). There are some sticking points still there," he said.
Mutambara said he would address a Press conference today updating the nation on the status of the talks.
President Mugabe told the media that the talks would continue. "As long as we have tongues we will continue talking," he said.
It could not be established if the three parties would be meeting again today.
President Mugabe is now expected to announce a new Cabinet while Parliament would be called into session "soon", the source said.
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Politics has it that one or some are to be excused from the next gvt after this crisis talks. Likely it is that our dear boycott boy may again lose the opportunity to be in gvt and steer things to his advantage in prep for next elections thanks to the ever malicious advise from little wasted western political brains. Talks and GNU is about the economy and total liberty, if we had a better economy and better economic opportunities we would not be worried if a dumb like George Bush runs our country. The only sticking point is in recognition… [Read Full Text]
Woohoo, a holy-alliance of Robert and Arthur, as they put their sticking points in Morgan's back!! Me thinks there's something fishy here. Comrade Putin just went next door and kicked his neighbour's a.se for making his little boat rock. Why cant Comrade Thabo go and kick Uncle Bob and his little comrades a.ses? And just give everyone a break, pleeeez!!!
Woohoo, a holy-alliance of Robert and Arthur, as they put their sticking points in Morgan's back!! Me thinks there's something fishy here. Comrade Putin just went next door and kicked his neighbour's a.se for making his little boat rock. Why cant Comrade Thabo go and kick Uncle Bob and his little comrades a.ses? And just give everyone a break, pleeeez!!!
Politics has it that one or some are to be excused from the next gvt after this crisis talks. Likely it is that our dear boycott boy may again lose the opportunity to be in gvt and steer things to his advantage in prep for next elections thanks to the ever malicious advise from little wasted western political brains. Talks and GNU is about the economy and total liberty, if we had a better economy and better economic opportunities we would not be worried if a dumb like George Bush runs our country. The only sticking point is in recognition… [Read Full Text]
'Insiders last night said Tsvangirai refused to append his signature to the political settlement after being advised to only proceed with the talks after a "cooling-off period".
The insiders indicated that Tsvangirai had been changing positions during the talks and that he had even misled his negotiators who had been meeting in South Africa over the past three weeks'.
Why am I not surprised? Tsvangirai should know by now that he can't please all of the people all of the time. He spends so much time pampering to his Western allies whilst at the same time trying to pamper to… [Read Full Text]
Selector.. you believe what the Herald says? This paper has zero credibility after what its published during the last few months.
As for "The insiders indicated that Tsvangirai had been changing positions during the talks..." Shouldnt the Herald be blasting the ZANU PF for quite obviously breaking the rule that what happens during the negotiations should not be talked about through the media?
awt, I like any news paper/agency, I believe some of what the Herald says.
As for the media blackout, I thought that was down to the talks being originally scheduled for two weeks and the agreed blackout being two weeks. The talks have overrun but the two weeks were up last weekend.
About Tsvangirai, for a party leader I find him terribly indecisive. He seems incapable of making and sticking to executive decisions of/on his own - even about himself. He told the world's press that he would be returning to Zimbabwe 'in the next few days' for more than… [Read Full Text]
See all comments (31).
Lunatic Mugabe has just to give up executive power since Zimbabweans in their greta majority ahve already dished him into the dustbin of history. He is desperately clinging to illegitimate power.
In another country with a professional Army and democratic institutions, murderer Mugabe would have already been sweating in jail for the rest of his life.
Zimbabwe needs a fresh start and with people with clean hands. If Mbeki cannot deliver, and if he cannot understand why Mugabe should not continue confiscating power illegitimately, he has just to leave the hard work to Zuma and the civil society.
Nobody, sound… [Read Full Text]