27 October 2009
Masvingo, - Deputy PM and the leader of the smaller faction of the MDC, Arthur Mutambara on Sunday attacked the permanent secretary in the Information and Publicity, George Charamba and Jonathan Moyo for 'continuously feeding the nation with lies'. Addressing his supporters at Mucheke Hall in Masvingo, Mutambara said: "It is very embarrassing that Charamba- a civil servant together with Jonathan Moyo are continuously feeding the country with lies.
If you buy The Herald or listen to ZBC, do not expect anything besides lies and propaganda," he said. "We do not want Zanu PF to dominate in the state media, we also want to be heard, and we want Tsvangirai to be heard. All of us demands a fair share in the state media, not lies. These gentlemen have taken people for granted."
"As a party, we are calling for more players in the media; we want Daily News and News Day as soon as possible. We do not want what is happening," said Mutambara.
"Zimbabweans do not deserve to continue to be punished with biased media. The people deserve plurality and diversity. What is happening is poisonous and uncalled for."
Turning to the outstanding issues affecting the inclusive government, Mutambara said Prime Minister and the leader of the main faction of MDC, Morgan Tsvangirai was right to demand that the issues be solved as a matter of urgency.
However, he was quick to warn Tsvangirai that if he pulled out of government, President Robert Mugabe would take the opportunity to push everything to his own advantage.
"I understand Tsvangirai's demands - his demands are very genuine but we want to warn him to be very careful. Though Mugabe knows that he will be a rebel leader without us, he will take that opportunity to push everything to his favour. We will end up crying.
"We know that its Mugabe who is dragging feet in implementing the outstanding issues. A lot of things are yet to be resolved; the issue of provincial governors, Bennett's issue, Gono and Tomana must go. We are not fools, we want to bring Mugabe and tell him the truth in his face.." said Mutambara.
Tsvangirai's faction said they would not engage with Zanu PF on all matter pertaining to the inclusive government until oustanding issues are resolved. Among the outstanding issues are the swearing in of MDC's treasurer general and deputy minister of Agriculture designate, Roy Bennett, who is facing terrorism charges, the appointments of Attorney General Johannes Tomana and Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono and governors. However Mugabe, denied, there were any outstanding issues, saying the only thing left was for MDC to resolve the issue of western sanctions, which were stalling economic and political progress.
Asked why his ministers were still going to cabinet meetings when they respected Tsvangirai's demands, Mutambara said this was to block Mugabe and his ministers to come up with 'disastrous' decisions.
Mutambara said Zimbabweans had him to thank for holding together the inclusive government. "Had it not been me, this inclusive government could have collapsed long ago. I am their mediator. I am the only one who can make Mugabe and Tsvangirai to come together now. I am going to have a meeting with Tsvangirai on Monday morning before we meet Mugabe in the afternoon," he said.
Mutambara was accompanied by his deputy Gibson Sibanda, Secretary general Professor Welshman Ncube and Minister of Regional Integration and International Co-operation Pricilla Misihairambwi -Mushonga.
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Takunya... more lies I see..
Here is the truth...
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe was on Friday forced to accept the January Sadc Summit Communiqué that eventually led to the formation of the coalition as a binding document, sources revealed yesterday.
The communiqué, which the veteran leader had all along refused to recognize arguing that it was not part of the Global Political Agreement (GPA), stipulates among other things that the appointments of the Reserve Bank Governor and the Attorney General would be dealt with by the inclusive government after its consummation.
Section 7(vi) of the communiqué says: "The appointments of the Reserve Bank Governor and the Attorney General will be dealt with by the inclusive government after its formation."
The sources said by acknowledging the January communiqué as binding, Mugabe had effectively agreed to review his position regarding the appointment of RBZ governor Gideon Gono and Attorney General Johannes Tomana.
The continued stay in office of Gono and Tomana is an "outstanding issue" that has caused serious friction in the coalition.
Mugabe had vowed not to replace Gono and Tomana saying the appointments were done "constitutionally".
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC-T a fortnight ago suspended co-operation with Zanu PF citing Mugabe's refusal to recognise the communiqué.
Mugabe has also refused to share the posts of provincial governors, noting that those appointments were dependent on his benevolence. This was in contradiction of section 7(vii) of the communiqué, which states that "the negotiators of the parties shall meet immediately to consider the National Security Bill submitted by the MDC-T as well as the formula for the distribution of the Provincial Governors".
Mugabe also refused to swear in Deputy Minister-designate Roy Bennett, who is currently battling what his party says are "trumped up" terrorism charges.
Sources told The Standard it became clear that Mugabe was the stumbling block after the Sadc foreign ministers' review of the GPA on Friday.
Sources who attended the closed meetings said the ministers were "shocked" by the slow implementation and blatant disregard of the agreement, which led to the formation of the inclusive government.
"It became clear in the meetings that Zanu PF is the culprit. The visit clearly exposed Mugabe and Zanu PF as the stumbling block," said one of the sources.
This forced Mugabe to make a major climb down from his position regarding the January Sadc Summit Communiqué.
In a statement the Sadc ministers on Friday said: "The parties agreed to attend to all outstanding issues arising from the implementation of the GPA and the Sadc Summit Communiqué of January 2009."
The foreign ministers from Mozambique, Zambia and Swaziland - the three countries forming the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security - then recommended the holding of a regional summit to deal with the Zimbabwe political stalemate.
"We will be consulting on the summit. I cannot tell you when it will take place but, trust me, it will be soon, very soon, almost immediately," said Mozambican foreign minister Oldemiro Baloi, who headed the three-member Sadc delegation.
The delegation met the negotiators before they paid a courtesy call on Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara during the two-day visit between Thursday and Friday.
The visit followed Tsvangirai's regional tour to drum up support following his party's disengagement from Zanu PF in the inclusive government citing Mugabe's reluctance to address "outstanding issues".
The MDC-T has since added Presidential spokesperson George Charamba to its list of "outstanding issues", saying he was communicating "hatred and causing discord" on the GPA implementation as well as rising cases of violence against its supporters.
Meanwhile, Tsvangirai's spokesperson James Maridadi said the MDC-T was happy with the outcome of the meeting because the regional ministers managed to impress upon Mugabe that the January communiqué was as binding as the GPA.
University of Zimbabwe political scientist John Makumbe said the Sadc visit exposed Mugabe because he had been refusing to recognise the communiqué.
"Mugabe has been exposed. It has become clear that Mugabe is refusing to comply with the Sadc communiqué," Makumbe said.
He said the 85-year-old leader risks losing the support from his colleagues from the region if he continues to flout the agreement.
Yesterday Mugabe appeared conciliatory when he addressed mourners at the burial of Shamva-Bindura Senator Misheck Chando.
Although he struck his familiar chord on Western interference, Mugabe called for more dialogue with his estranged coalition partners.
"They (western countries) want us to go down on our knees and beg them to forgive us. We ask who they are?" he said.
"When you have as party, even as individuals, taken a stand that you shall work together with our political neighbours, and they have reciprocated at the same terms, then the requirement is that we continue step by step together," Mugabe said.
The conciliatory tone was in sharp contrast to his address to the Zanu PF Central Committee where he said the MDC-T's disengagement will not affect the operations of the inclusive government.
Sources said Mugabe was trying to placate party supporters who had called for Zanu PF to ditch the unity government. Zanu PF insiders said Zimbabwe's long time ruler realised the coalition was "his only salvation".
Baloi said Mugabe and Tsvangirai will meet tomorrow to discuss the "outstanding issues".
Mutambara and Tsvangirai are two heads of the same snake – we call it Tsutsukuviri in my language. Whichever head strikes you is dangerous because it has the deadly venom.
When President Mugabe recently likened Mutambara to a shameless prostitute, I did not immediately understand what he meant. I now know better. When he is with the President he says one thing and when he is with the sellout he says completely the opposite.
What king of inconsistence is that? This is the worst kind of foolishness from somebody who calls himself a mediator. How can he say Tsvangi’s demands are genuine when he knows too well that there is not a single one of the issues he mentioned that appears in the GPA?
The truth of the matter is that the only outstanding issues in the GPA are to do with sanctions as campaigned for by Tsvangirai the sellout, interference from hostile western countries and the hiring of CIA and MI6 agents working in the parallel structures created by the sellout MDC party. These, my brothers and sisters, are the ONLY outstanding issues of the PGA and nothing else.
Provincial governors are not party of the GPA, thus, they can only be relieved of their duties when all constitutional issues to do with hiring and firing of a civil servant have been met. Similarly, Dr Gideon Gono and AG Johannes Tomana were appointed according to the constitution of Zimbabwe, hence, are protected by law and until such time that their terms of office have expired, they are not going anywhere. The President has said it over and over again but these thick headed foolish idiots do not seem to understand.
And Mutambara is full of foolishness! He talks of Dr Gono and AG Tomana as outstanding issues and not the parallel structure being run by Tsvangirai as if this structure is of any benefit to him and his party. Mutambara should now mature and realize that the imperialist structures have not, are not and SHALL NEVER benefit his dying party.
Mutambara is better off aligning with Zanu-pf unless he wants to continue selling out like his other head, Tsvangi and come elections time he can rest be assured that he will not secure a single seat from the 10 his party currently hold. He himself lost dismally in Chitungwiza and he should not claim to have any legitimacy whatsoever.