Zimbabwe: Political Leaders Agree on Power-Sharing Deal

Cape Town — More than five months after Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) beat the ruling Zanu-PF into second place in elections, the country's three main political parties have reached an agreement to share power.

President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa confirmed at a news conference in Harare on Thursday night that a "unanimous agreement" had been concluded by all negotiating parties. The news conference was broadcast live in South Africa on satellite television channels.

Mbeki - appointed as facilitator of the talks by the Southern African Development Community - spoke soon after the news agency Agence France-Presse quoted MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai as emerging from talks to tell journalists in Harare: "We've got a deal." Reuters quoted a Zimbabwe government source as confirming the deal.

Mbeki said the agreement would be signed and published on Monday.

He flew to Harare earlier this week to preside over renewed talks for a government of national unity. The talks focussed on how executive powers would be shared between Tsvangirai and President Robert Mugabe, who has ruled for 28 years.

Earlier on Thursday, Mugabe was quoted as telling a meeting in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second city: "We have not gone anywhere. We are still stuck at the same point where those from the MDC still want to govern."

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  • d_bokk
    Sep 11 2008, 16:08

    Very good news. Now lets hope the West will stop strangling Zimbabwe.

  • baba
    Sep 12 2008, 05:26

    Dbok or whatever you call yourself stop being paranoid. ther is no west but your failures that come and haunt you.

  • ROOLATAU
    Sep 12 2008, 05:59

    There is nothing wrong with articulating own opinion...Anyway I think its high time we accept that we have leaders who failed us and stop pointing fingers at the so called"west",I mean they did not come and kill our brothers and sisters,but leaders like bo Uncle Bob did...!They did not beat up opposition followers,but our rulling brothers did...The west did not organise a one man elections,Uncle Bob did...Lets stop defendind the ills of our failing leaders...

  • d_bokk
    Sep 12 2008, 15:48

    You ask me to stop pointing the finger the West, yet you point the finger at Mugabe for all the ills of Zimbabwe. Why the double standard?

    And the West has organized plenty of one-man elections, it's their specialty and they have committed far greater acts of brutality than Mugabe ever did or is even capable of doing.

  • ROOLATAU
    Sep 12 2008, 06:00

    There is nothing wrong with articulating own opinion...Anyway I think its high time we accept that we have leaders who failed us and stop pointing fingers at the so called"west",I mean they did not come and kill our brothers and sisters,but leaders like bo Uncle Bob did...!They did not beat up opposition followers,but our rulling brothers did...The west did not organise a one man elections,Uncle Bob did...Lets stop defendind the ills of our failing leaders...

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