Dumisani Muleya
25 September 2008
ZIMBABWE'S Prime Minister-designate Morgan Tsvangirai is on a whirlwind consultation tour on policy issues before he is sworn in -- possibly next week after resolution of the deadlock on the allocation of ministries.
The stalemate over the distribution of ministries will almost certainly be resolved when President Robert Mugabe returns home from the United Nations General Assembly. Sources said only four government ministries -- finance, home affairs, local government and foreign affairs -- remain contested.
There is also a dispute over prisons and water resources ministries. This means effectively 25 ministries have been agreed upon.
Mugabe is entitled to appoint 15 ministers, Tsvangirai 13 and the deputy prime minister-designate Arthur Mutambara three.
The negotiating parties met last week after their leaders failed to resolve the issue to try to break the impasse.
However, the negotiators decided to refer the issue back to their principals whom they said were better placed to deal with the matter. Sources said a compromise could be found on the matter by dividing contested ministries between Mugabe and Tsvangirai.
Once the deadlock is broken, Mugabe will announce the new cabinet next week to pave way for the inclusive government.
Tsvangirai's spokesman George Sibotshiwe confirmed his boss was meeting various economic and social groupings as part of his consultations. As prime minister Tsvangirai will be responsible for policy formulation and implementation.
"The main purpose of his meetings is to consult with various sectors of the economy and different groupings to get their views on reconstruction and recovery of the country," Sibotshiwe said.
"He is going to give a comprehensive briefing about the outcome of his consultations at the end of this process."
Tsvangirai is accompanied on his tour by his advisers Ian Makone, Eddie Cross and Wellington Chadehumbe.
Tsvangirai's consultations indicate his optimism about the power-sharing agreement signed last week between Zanu PF and the MDC under the aegis of former South African president Thabo Mbeki.
There are reservations about the deal, which leaves Mugabe as president. "The deal as far as we are concerned is the best thing for the country," Tsvangirai said last week. "We will be able to work within the deal to achieve the necessary transformation."
Mugabe, who remains the head of state and government, commander-in-chief of the defence forces and chair of cabinet and the national security council, also said this week the agreement would work.
"Every one of us is actually positive about the agreement, or the need to cement the agreement and make it work," Mugabe said in New York at the United Nations General Assembly before his address last night.
"I don't see any reason why we can't work together as Zimbabweans," he said. "We are all sons of the soil, as we say, and the differences arise purely from your own conceptions of what Zimbabwe should be and what the government of Zimbabwe should be."
They said Tsvangirai wanted to ensure that he is fully informed about the dire economic and social conditions before taking office soon.
Sources said Tsvangirai has so far met business leaders and captains of industry, the farming community and players in the agricultural sector, the mining sector, non-governmental organisations, civil society groups and the labour movement. He is also expected to meet more players in other sectors of the economy and various interest groups including the media.
Some of the specific groups he has met are the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries, Chamber of Mines, NGOs including the World Food Programme and Food and Agriculture Organisation, and the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, from where he launched his political career. Late yesterday, he met farmers' representatives.
He has asked the Chamber of Mines and the CZI to draft policy documents for their respective sectors. Sources said business representatives wanted to know how Tsvangirai would proceed with the contentious issue of indigenisation.
The MDC leader is said to be also focusing on the resumption of food aid to deal with the current humanitarian crisis.
According to the United Nations, over 5,1 million people -- approximately 45% of the population -- would have no access to food by year-end.
Tsvangirai is trying to get an appreciation of the food crisis, especially in rural areas.
He would also focus on the revival of the ruined agricultural sector to restore production to avert food shortages next year.
Tsvangirai's economic policy document drawn up before the March elections states that the basic objectives of reconstruction would be to "stabilise the national economy, restore macro-economic fundamentals and initiate a process of economic recovery". It says there would be a need to tackle inflation, interest rates and exchange rate problems as fast as possible to create a stable macro-economic environment.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said in a report this week Zimbabwe needs about US$5 billion in foreign aid over five years to re-build its shattered economy.
The report, compiled after the signing of the power-sharing agreement, said US$1,6 billion of the financial aid would be needed immediately to facilitate recovery.
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Mugabe was ridiculed in New York by SA representatives and was threatened with selected boycott from SA if ever he were to play fiddle with the 50/50 criteria for the allocation of ministries. Observers say that Mugabe was really preoccupied by the threats, the more so as Zuma is now calling the shots.
Mugabe knows very well that he cannot survive another 24 hours should he defy the SA Government. Tsvangirai also knows that Mugabe is cornered and, in order to save his own skin, Mugabe will have to climb down.
Mugabe looks fragile with poor health. He knows that he will never ever be pardoned for his crimes should he disregard the 50/50 formula. He also knows that he can hardly count on any African country to offer him an abode should he have to run away for his life .. and with the looting of hundreds of millions of Dollars!
Tsvangirai will ultimately have the upper hand while Mugabe will look tawards Tsvangirai for his own protection under a Zuma rule in SA. How funny !!
An earlier enemy becoming the protector of the murderer!!
You are lying and manipulating facts again!! Shame on you baasi Solusi-scout! How do you manage to collect all the negatives and lies??
Akapfunde, your problem is that you either read with a closed mind or because of Mugabe's tight control and censorship of your media , you do not know what really goes on outside or even within Zimbabwe. Those of us in other parts of the world, we see and hear things as they happen. You know very well what took place in Zimbabwe long before, but not presently as your judgment seems to be clouded by the fact that because you are loyal to Mugabe, you are therefore not prepared to hear anything contra to what you want to hear. I suggest you open your eyes, look around you and see if Zimbabwe is in the condition it used to be and ask yourself why this deterioration with Mugabe as president and why the necessity for a unity government with Mugabe as president. Then start to listen to what others are telling you about the real reason for Zimbabwe's terrible decline. And if I may add, it has nothing to do with sanctions targeted at Mugabe and some of his other bad Zanu-pf ministers, the West or anyone else or thing. Just check Mugabe himself.
Morgan ,Bob and his 56 thieves have just been to the U.N and filled their bellies.So please have the palace ready for the triumphant return!! Goodluck mate, you are going to need it.