10 November 2008
Southern Africa's leaders have told Zimbabwe's two main parties to form a unity government and to share control of the ministry which supervises the country's police force, but Prime Minister-designate Morgan Tsvangirai has rejected their decision.
Tsvangirai told a news conference at the end of a regional summit early on Monday that in view of the "utter contempt" with which his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) was treated by President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF, sharing control of the Home Affairs ministry "cannot work."
He went on to accuse Southern African heads of state of not having "the courage and the decency [to] look… Mr Mugabe in the eyes and tell… him that his position was wrong." It had been agreed earlier in negotiations that Mugabe would retain the Defence ministry, which controls the army and air force.
MDC
Morgan Tsvangirai.
Zimbabwe's leaders have been deadlocked for two months over the composition of the power-sharing government agreed to during September. Regional leaders represented by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) called the extraordinary summit on Sunday in an attempt to resolve the deadlock and to discuss the crisis in the war-torn eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
At the end of the summit – attended by five of 15 heads of state – SADC issued a communiqué saying it had "decided that the inclusive government be formed forthwith in Zimbabwe [and that] the Ministry of Home Affairs be co-managed…" It said the arrangement should be reviewed after six months to see if it was working. It also told the parties to implement constitutional changes to form a government.
Defending SADC's position, its executive secretary, Tomaz Salomão, repeatedly told a news conference after the summit that it was dealing with an "above-normal situation."
"We cannot afford to postpone the formation of an inclusive government because there is a difference on who appoints the Minister of Home Affairs," he said. "The view of the summit is probably, with the appointment of two ministers, we can pave the way to build some trust between the parties… This may be a good starting point, who knows? Let's give them a chance and we will see in due course."
According to transcript of Salomão's remarks issued by South Africa's foreign ministry, he said Zimbabwe's parties had asked SADC for a ruling on their deadlock, and its ruling now had to be implemented whether the parties agreed with it or not.
"The parties must, without any further delay, I repeat without any further delay, introduce the Constitution of the Zimbabwe Amendment 19 meaning… meaning that the implementation of the decision is a matter of urgency," he said.
Asked how "co-managing" would work in practice, Salomão said: "I have been a minister for 22 years and I have not had an experience of how you co-manage a ministry, but if you take the Ministry of Home Affairs, you have the police, immigration and probably many other matters of concern for Zimbabwe and it is up to them, to the two ministers, to agree on how they are going to manage the ministries and if they differ, they go to Cabinet that 'we agree here, we differ here' and Cabinet can make the ruling."
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"Total Empowerment!", "African Solutions for Africans!", empty slogans by a dying generation of liberation leaders who have shown an incredible lack of intestinal fortitude by ducking their heads in the sand and hoping the problem of Zimbabwe will just go away.
Because of the SADC's decision to side w/ ZANU-PF/Mugabe, Zimbabwe is now "totally empowered" to starve. ZANU-PF/Mugabe will hold ever more tightly to the strings of power. The "African Solution" is to allow ZANU-PF/Mugabe to continue to rape, torture and murder anyone who opposes them! Once again, African leaders have failed to solve one of their own… [Read Full Text]
SADC should be shamed for showing its inability to align itself with the will of the majority of Zimbos! It's a total abdication of its moral obligation to promote genuine democracy. SADC is backing a monster, a murderer, an imposter illegitimate confiscator of power!
We should not be surprised if Congo is going through civil war and that it may in due course spread over also into Zimbabwe.
MDC should feel emboldened to return to the grassroot and cultivate an alliance with progressive forces in the region in order to promote the emergence of a new progressive political force that… [Read Full Text]
As a matter of principle SADC has not sided with Mugabe but has made its own ruling. We now have a SADC position that the parties can now factor into their own decision making. In my opinion the parties must respect the SADC ruling for the sake of the people and not allow their petty pride to prolong the totally unnecessary misery and suffering.
The SADC is waste of our tax money. These leaders have blood on their hands and Mugabe would not be doing what he does if he did not have their support. Just a bunch of fleas sucking on the dying southern African country. Many see a democratic and vibrant Zimbabwe as a threat to their own survival. Its disgusting. The AU is no better. The only solution now is the UN.
Hey brother where are you coming from. You only believe in the whiteman thats why probably you are here to clean their old people. Whats so special about Morgan, remember Robert was forced by Samora to attend the Lancaster coference which brought all these problems we have. So what special about the uneducated, inexperienced big headed little man who wants to see the population suffer because he wants to be the headboy. Obama does not negotiate with bush because he beat him resoundingly at the ballot. Why did your little president bulk at the last moment, as usual . Whose… [Read Full Text]
sorry i wasnt aware that you only deserve to have the respect of the people because you fought in a war, geez the ancient greeks got democracy all wrong didnt they. Maybe we need world war 3 that every democratic country will have a legitimate president not long after. Better yet, how about you show some common sense and stop denying the truth about the Murderous fiend that the good people of Zimbabwe are forced to support.
simon where was the UN during Rwandas genocide? what have the UN done to stop bloodshed in Iraq, Afghanistan,Congo DRC,etc?
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