Financial Gazette (Harare)
Njabulo Ncube and Ray Matikinye
1 November 2008
Harare — INTENSE lobbying to influence Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders by ZANU-PF and the two formations of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) ahead of an extraordinary summit scheduled for early next month to discuss the deadlock over the distribution of ministries has begun amid indications that the regional body will most likely endorse the decisions of the Troika.
Officials from the three parties told The Financial Gazette this week that while the date and venue of the special summit of the 15-member SADC were still to be decided, ZANU-PF and the MDC-Tsvangirai have identified teams to traverse the region on a charm offensive to convince leaders on their positions.
The ZANU-PF politburo held an emergency meeting yesterday during which progress on the troubled inter-party dialogue, including the latest stalemate, dominated the deliberations.
Sources said the policy-making organ of ZANU-PF threw its weight behind President Robert Mugabe's unyielding stance in the talks being mediated by former South African president, Thabo Mbeki, and outlined the road map the party's negotiating team should follow ahead and during the extraordinary summit that is likely to be held in South Africa next week.
The politburo met as the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, urged African leaders to take "very decisive steps to end the standoff between the Zimbabwean leader and Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the larger faction of the MDC.
SADC is under increasing pressure to find a quick solution to the Zimbabwean crisis as differences over the interpretation of the power-sharing deal - reinforced by MDC claims that some provisions of the original agreement were altered to suit ZANU-PF - scuttled earlier efforts by the Troika to nudge the two MDCs and ZANU-PF to a political settlement.
"Now that SADC has decided to convene their full summit meeting, I hope that these leaders of SADC...should really take very decisive measures to help resolve this crisis," Moon told reporters yesterday in Manila. "This has been taking too long and I sincerely hope that President Mugabe should no longer disappoint the international community."
But indications yesterday were that battle lines have been drawn ahead of the proposed summit as the two protagonists prepare to drive even harder bargains when they meet to thrash out workable arrangements under the power-sharing deal.
Regional sources and politicians familiar with the workings of SADC told The Financial Gazette yesterday it would be unlikely that the proposed full summit would oppose the recommendations of the facilitator as well as that of the Troika.
The Troika, comprising Angola, Mozambique and Swaziland, recommended the convening of a full SADC summit "to further review the current political situation in Zimbabwe as a matter of urgency."
While there are conflicting views of the actual causes that triggered a deadlock between the three political parties, the Troika, noted what it said was progress regarding the allocation of ministries and that there was convergence between the parties with respect to cooperative management of the ministry of Home Affairs and encouraged the parties to pursue the option of sharing the interior ministries.
The Financial Gazette last week revealed that Mbeki had recommended that he had no problems with the Ministry of Home Affairs being co-ministered by ZANU-PF and the MDC.
"The Troika is a sub-committee of a full SADC summit. What it is going to do is brief the summit and then table its recommendation and after that the summit will debate the recommendations and make binding resolutions to the three political parties," said a diplomatic source.
"On the current impasse in Zimbabwe, based on the communiqué issued by the Troika, I don't see the summit differing with what has been recommended in Harare specifically the issue of cooperative management of the Home Affairs portfolio. The final resolution of the summit will be binding," said the source.
The source said the summit would most likely spend most of its energies on the options surrounding the co-ministering of the Home Affairs Ministry.
"We are informed there are three options regarding the co-ministering of Home Affairs. Firstly, Mugabe's proposal that both ZANU-PF and MDC share the ministry, secondly, the Mutambara proposal that entails rotating the ministries for a period of six months and thirdly Tsvangirai's latest proposal that his party be given the ministry during the start of the power-sharing government for a period of up to 12 months," said the source.
"What may happen is that the summit will look at these three options and then, after debate and other usual procedures, decide on the best or most reasonable alternative that is acceptable to all the parties. SADC will recommend and that will be it," said the source.
Patrick Chinamasa, the ZANU-PF chief negotiator, declined to comment on what strategies his party would employ as the SADC summit loomed when contacted yesterday.
Tendai Biti, the secretary general of the MDC-T said his political formation was disconcerted by "the fraudulent alteration of the agreement of the 11th of September 2008" and the one that was signed on September 15.
Although it is claimed that only the portfolio of Home Affairs is outstanding, Biti was adamant all other ministries were in contention, including the appointment of the 10 provincial Governors.
He outlined other outstanding issues as the question of the composition, functions and constitution of the National Security Council.
"This is a critical issue in view of the dangerous and partisan role that has been displayed by the intelligence services in this country," Biti said, adding that the fourth outstanding issue pertained to the appointment of Permanent Secretaries and Ambassadors and lastly, the question of Constitutional Amendment No. 19 which is the legal document that is necessary and conditional in bringing the global power agreement into life.
"It is our understanding that the Troika in fact made a resolution that it is the agreement of the 11th of September 2008 that should be binding." he said.
He said ZANU-PF had failed to appreciate that his party has the legitimate peoples' mandate following its victory on March 29 and would not accept responsibility without authority.
Priscilla Misihairambwi-Mushonga, the deputy secretary general of MDC-Mutambara felt referring the matter to the full SADC Summit would bring finality to crisis.
"We will make our position to the summit and hopefully a binding position regarding the disputes will be reached and it will be binding to all the three political parties. Those that are opposed to the finalization of the crisis are doing it for their selfish ends," said Misihairambwi-Mushonga.
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We sincerely hope that this upcoming SADC summit will be a conclusive one for the best interests of ordinary Zimbabweans who are reeling under illegal economic sanctions..SADC leaders should make sure that Tsvangirai will not slip out of this one....Well ,indications are that SADC will not allow the entire powersharing deal to be held at ransom by a Western sponsored stooge,tsvangi who's more keen to serve his handlers interests than his own people's needs..Its pleasing to note that SADC pressure is definitely looming on the indecisive stooge who keeps on shifting goalposts and stalling the talks...It is now clear that… [Read Full Text]
iwe wakutinyaudza neIlligal sanctions dzekumba kwamayi vako.Ndezve kumba kwenyu izvo kana maka Bhanwa enda unotaura navo tibvire kumhepo.
Which "illegal economic sanctions" do you mean? Can you be more specific please.
One does hope that an agreement will finally be reached on the disagreements over the distribution of the cabinet posts. I feel that SA and SADAC are finaly tired of Mugabe, his fresh outburst of violence I think will now backfire on him and he will be held to account by his peers (that is if they eventually decide that he is legitimate) Tsvangorai, hold firm you are in the right, do not let Mugabe and his JOC manipulate the previous agreement. MDC deserves the posting of Internal affairs in order to bring some semblance of law to Zimbabwe, no… [Read Full Text]
I hope that an agreement can be reach between all of the leaders for now , to Co-share the positions in the government.Feed the people at this time,get in resources etc. By next election time things should be almost back on track.God bless Africa and America.Oweij Leibo.Tarboro,North Carolina USA.
Levi, let's hope things turn out as you say in Zimbabwe. It all depends on Mugabe's cooperation. If he continues to crap all over the place then Zimbabwe remains in its time warp spiraling further and further backwards.
DEMOCRACY will save Zimbabwe from total collapse. I have been observing the American elections and results and no wonder why they are far developed, than our poor Zimbabwe. Below is a rational transition which if it happened in Zimbabwe renenge ririshura!! "Bush said that "this peaceful transfer of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy." And he warned that the United States would be vigilant against any attempts by enemies to take advantage of the country during its period of transition.
The Bush administration is providing security clearances, working space and policy briefings to President-elect Obama's team as… [Read Full Text]