Financial Gazette (Harare)
Njabulo Ncube
20 December 2008
Harare — PROSPECTS of an inclusive government looked slim yesterday despite optimism by South African President, Kgalema Motlanthe that the feuding political parties in Zimbabwe would merge this week.
Motlanthe told journalists in Johannesburg yesterday that he was against international pressure to force President Robert Mugabe to step down, but instead held the view that the veteran Zimbabwean leader should stay on as Head of State and government as provided for by the Global Political Agreement signed in September.
But yesterday Tendai Biti, the MDC-T chief negotiator, poured cold water on the South African leader's expectations saying he was "day-dreaming."
Biti said: "It is a joke, he is day-dreaming."
"All this is fiction (that a coalition government will be in place by this week). The parties are not even talking yet. These are people who expect an inclusive government under the current unfavourable conditions. Our resolution of the 8th national council in Kadoma is very clear that we will only participate in a unity government when all the issues raised have been met. As we speak, a number of our people are being abducted by state security agents. So really, it's day-dreaming for him to expect anything before the end of this week."
Thabo Mbeki, the Southern African Development Community-appointed mediator in the Zimbabwe crisis, last week dispatched a team to Harare in a desperate attempt to have the three parties patch up differences over Constitutional Amendment Number 19 Bill, the proposed legislation seeking to formalise the appointment of Morgan Tsvangirai, the MDC-T leader as prime minister and form the basis of an inclusive government.
Because the negotiations have stalled owing to issues the MDC-T said were outstanding, Patrick Chinamasa, the chief ZANU-PF negotiator, hinted that President Mugabe could be left with no choice, but to call for fresh polls within the next two years to break the impasse.
Chinamasa said ZANU-PF was exasperated by the MDC-T's tricks of dilly-dallying over the amendment, which the opposition vowed to block if their demands are not met.
He urged the three political parties to ensure that the Bill is passed in order for Zimbabwe to move forward.
He said he did not see any reason for further delays because the parties had already agreed on the amendment.
"All the three parties have to support the amendment otherwise the country will be forced to go back to elections," said Chinamasa. "The facilitator expects us to have a deal soon, so we must ensure this happens sooner rather than later."
Edwin Mushoriwa, the spokesman for the MDC-Mutambara formation, said his group expected the parties to support the amendment, which has since been gazetted by the government.
"You are aware that Amendment 19 was the last document to be signed by the three negotiating teams," said Mushoriwa. "What they (Mbeki's mediation team) had come to do was to ensure that the amendment goes through. They are anxious that a government of national unity must be formed as a matter of urgency.
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Hallo, It is time the people of Zimbabwe see that noone is going to liberate then from this monster Mugabe. Botawana is the only country willing to say the truth as it is and tell Mugabe to leave because he and his ZANU-PF lost the March elections. Why should Mugabe invite Tswangirai into power-sharing government let alone dictate the make-up of the government when they lost the elections? This is just unbelievable and it typically shows an African logic and mentality that betrays justice and fellow Africans. This mentality has been used by foreigners like Arabs, Europeans and Asians to systematically enslaved and rape Africa economically, militarily, culturally, politically and morally throughout the ages. God gave Africa a lot of riches but we are the poorest continent on the planet because of this mentality of betrayal, especially the betrayal of justice and fellow Africans! So, the MDC should accetpt Botswana’s hospitality and form a government in exile. Those in the army, police and civil services should also take exile in Botswana. If Mugabe sends his henchmen into Botswana territory to persue the Zimbabweans then the UN will have a clear mandate to intervene. South Africa has been the biggest obstacle to finding peaciful solution to Zimbabwean crisis. So when we Zimbabweans start doing something ourselves we can also ask our friends all over the world to threaten boycotting the Olympics in South Africa, if South Africa does not play a fair role in the Zimbabwean problem.
Please, ndapota hangu mwanawewe ... Leave South Africa alone. The mess we are in is of our own making. Like pigs we shall remain in the mess till we decide otherwise. The MDC started a fight. They should then fight. Why do they start a fight and run behind Botswana etc? The MDC clearly, from the start, has been expecting other forces to fight for them. It has a lot about both national and international disputes. Every one comes in if they are going to get something out of it ... be it wealth, raw materials or just shayisano. Grow up.
If this is the kind of unenlightended advice that Tsvangirayi is getting then I am not surprised he is lost. According to the laws of Zimbabwe Mugabe won the Presidential election, courtesy of Tsvangirayi's ill-advised withdrawal. Tsvangirayi has now been given an opportunity, endorsed by SADC to join the government but he again seems to be ill-advised because he has refused the SADC ruling and yet he has no other credible alternative - a government in exile under the current circumstances would be illegal by international law and no country would recognize it. While Mugabe is certainly not managing the country well, unfortunately he appears to be the best that Zimbabweans have at the moment.
Tsvangirai pulled out of the run off election b/c too many people was dying and being tortured which is more than Mugabe choice to do. He just kills, steals and destroys everything and anything that does not agree with his ways. So Mugabe is president b/c he unleashed hell unto the people before the run off elections so they would vote for him or die...
SADC has proven it does not care for the people of Zimbabwe by backinging Mugabe as the legal president and pushing for a power sharing deal that Mugabe has already agreed to once then went back on his word... Mugabe cannot be trusted....
If Mugabe is the best you got then welll He will literally destroy Zimbabwe completely...
very interesting that you folks in Africa are talking about, "thinking out of the box!" I recently attended a thinking out of the box conference in the USA and I suspect that thinking out of the box is pretty much the same around the world. So I would like to share the pictures I took while at the conference, but can't up load here so I do invite you to http://www.saintpeterii.com
Nice try, but why on Earth does anyone think that Mugabe would accept that anymore than any other way of giving up power?
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Active Discussions: Zimbabwe Talks Must Move 'Outside the Box'