SW Radio Africa (London)
Tichaona Sibanda
21 October 2009
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Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai met South African President Jacob Zuma in Cape Town on Wednesday to apprise him on the situation in the country.
Tsvangirai's spokesman James Maridadi told SW Radio Africa that the two leaders met for a private one-to-one meeting which lasted for an hour. This was Tsvangirai's second meeting with a regional leader following his talks on Tuesday with Mozambican President Armando Guebuza.
"The Prime Minister was updating President Zuma on what has transpired in the country and obviously this included the decision to disengage from ZANU PF," Maridadi said.
Zuma reportedly told journalists that Zimbabwe must not be allowed to return to instability, as that country prepares to host the FIFA World Cup next year.
"Zimbabwe should not be allowed to slide back into instability," Zuma said after his meeting with Tsvangirai. The MDC leader embarked on his latest diplomatic offensive on Monday aiming to put pressure on SADC leaders to review the unity government since its formation eight months ago.
Robert Mugabe has since last year failed to fully implement the power sharing deal he signed with Tsvangirai and leader of the other MDC formation, Arthur Mutambara.
The unity government remains shaky as a result of outstanding non-compliance issues that continue to impede the transitional government. During his visit to Chimoio on Tuesday, Tsvangirai signalled his commitment to the unity government to Guebuza. He noted though that they would only 're-engage' if the power-sharing agreement is implemented in its entirety.
Tsvangirai told journalists that in just about eight months nothing has been done by ZANU PF to implement what was agreed upon in the power sharing agreement. Guebuza reportedly promised to send representatives of the SADC Troika to assess the situation in the country and meet with MDC and ZANU PF officials, including Mugabe, next week. Guebuza chairs the SADC's organ on Politics, Security and Defence.
Other issues that continue to hamper the progress of the government include: the sharing of posts of provincial governors, diplomats, senior public servants; the disputed appointments of attorney-general Johannes Tomana and Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono, and the arrests of MDC MPs.
During the next two days, Tsvangirai is expected to meet key SADC figures like Angolan President Eduardo Dos Santos and President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kabila currently holds the regional bloc's rotating Presidency.
Political commentator Solomon Chikohwero blamed SADC for creating the crisis rocking the country because they've failed to monitor or review the GPA as stipulated during their extraordinary summit in January.
'On 26th January 2009 a SADC summit directed that the issue of provincial governors, the Reserve Bank governor and the Attorney-General be resolved by the parties forthwith. Its eight months and the same SADC bloc is opting to ignore the fact that Mugabe is blatantly refusing to implement what was agreed,' Chikohwero said.
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