The country's three main political parties have finally begun discussing crucial outstanding issues in the Global Political Agreement to try to end the long running dispute between Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai.
A source in the MDC-T told us the latest round of negotiations would focus on 'steps and measures' to achieve a 'comprehensive and balanced' implementation of the GPA signed last year between the parties.
Last week there was an angry spat between the parties for not taking the talks seriously after the first deadline set by a SADC Troika summit was missed. The negotiators are meeting in a final bid to narrow the wide gaps between Mugabe and Tsvangirai.
The talks this week would focus on core issues: the unilateral appointment by Mugabe, of central bank Governor Gideon Gono, Attorney General Johannes Tomana and party loyalists to the country's provincial governorship posts. These are all MDC demands. ZANU PF wants targeted sanctions imposed on its members to be lifted, and the closure of the so-called pirate radio stations.
Monday's negotiations were attended by all teams from ZANU PF and the two MDC formations. Tendai Biti and Elton Mangoma represented the MDC-T while Welshman Ncube and Priscilla Misihairambwi-Mushonga stood in for the MDC-M. ZANU PF was represented by Patrick Chinamasa and Nicholas Goche.
The talks resumed after a gap of nearly a month as slow-moving efforts to end political bickering gather steam. The negotiators met at an undisclosed venue in Harare to start intense deliberations to deal with the matters as brought on the table through the SADC summit in Maputo early this month.
Analysts point out that SADC leaders have come to an understanding that in order to resolve the prolonged crisis in Zimbabwe, dialogue and full implementation of the GPA would have to be done as soon as possible.
The stalled power-sharing talks between ZANU-PF and Tsvangirai's MDC have dragged on for a long time, and now threaten the very survival of the inclusive government. Last month MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said his party and Mugabe's ZANU-PF were 'worlds apart' after the two old foes met to try to resolve their differences.
"If they (Mugabe and his ZANU-PF) are facing west we are facing east," Chamisa said.
The shaky unity government nearly collapsed when the MDC stopped attending cabinet meetings in protest against the arrest of its Treasurer-General Roy Bennett, and Mugabe's refusal to fully implement the GPA. Difficulties in implementing the agreement have delayed efforts to secure billions of dollars from Western donors, money that is crucial for the country's economic recovery.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has said the world in general and Africa in particular should have the decency to sit across the table to resolve disputes of whatever magnitude, without resorting to armed conflict.
Addressing delegates at the Amadeus Institute in Tangier, Morocco on Saturday, Tsvangirai said despite severe provocation and blatant abuse of the MDC, his conviction was that 'the ballot and not the bullet' was the only means by which stability would be achieved in Zimbabwe.
"Ours is a typical example of how negotiated settlements can achieve so much within a short space of time. It was unimaginable just a few months ago that President Mugabe and I would sit across a table and talk about the development of Zimbabwe," he said.
The Prime Minister added; "the level of animosity that existed across the political divide was legendary with polarity permeating all facets of human and economic endeavour."
Based in Rabat, Morocco, the Amadeus Institute is an independent Moroccan think tank, a centre of expertise, reflection, advice, proposals and consultation. Every year-end the institute invites international luminaries to tackle political and human development issues and advise on the best way forward for Africa.
From Morocco the Prime Minister headed to Tripoli, Libya where he was received with full military honours. He was met at Meghida Airport by his Libyan counterpart Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmudi, Foreign Affairs Minister Mussa Kussa and generals from the Libyan army, air force, navy, police and other security services.
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On one hand Tsvangirai and his puppet party are talking peace while on the other they are planning war. Tsvangirai's Botswana trained bandits, with the help of their associates still in the army, are stealing weapons from armories for purposes of insurgency, WHY? Nobody is flattered by the sellout's utterances until he comes clean of all the allegations pointing at his party planning war.
CIA and MI6 agents working with and in his stooge party are busy strategizing how they could cause armed conflict in our country. Their interest is to see us fighting each other so that they could easily loot our resources without us looking as we will concentrate on out-maneuvering one another. Wanyangirai yaona mwachewe!!!
How can anyone ever take this guy seriously? He's the biggest joke on the planet. All you have to do is read his words to see it.
Takunya, ------ the clown prince of lies. aka-- Tak the terrorist
Of course Mugabe will always delay everything to try to swing things his ways. He did it at Lancaster House to get his terrorists into the country, including takunya. Than again with every election and every conference.
Zungairwa;
You know as much as I do that President Mugabe was not responsible for the delay in the implementation of the GPA - it was sellout Tsvangi who exiled himself in Botswana for five months while being fucked from behind. He enjoyed the ass treatment he was getting from the gay president such that he forgot where his country was and that he had a duty to do. I am sure that was why, after the CIA engineered accident that killed his wife, he ran to his gay husband for comfort.
Going back a bit, you also know that it was your racist leader, one-eyed Ian Douglas Smith who thought he could have it his way at Lancaster when he only wanted to take, take and take without also giving. Smith mistakenly thought that, because the conference was in the land of his kith and kin, we would get scared and agree to everything and anything. He was wrong!!
Although we were in control of two thirds of the country we agreed to talk to the barbarian for the sake of the innocent black people who were daily being bombed and killed by Selous Scouts like Zungairwa, Roy Bennett, David Coltart and many others. By the way we could have moved from bush to office and, in 1979 we only needed less than five months to do so.
However, as civilized and peace loving people dealing with barbarians we considered the destruction that would follow and decided to compromise by opting for talks. But after we gave, gave and gave Smith and his sellouts (Muzorewa, Sithole, Chikerema and Chirau) thought they had found the weakest spot by trying to force us to pay for our stolen land and thats when they realized how determined we were.
We parked our bags and headed to the bushes of Mozambique and Zambia as well as Zimbabwe to finish the war in less than six months. If that is what you call "delay everything to try to swing things his ways" then you need to have your head examined by a psychiatrist.
Had it not been for Thatcher and Carter who agreed to pay for the compensation of racists like you who were on our land illegally, full-scale regular war would have resumed and you would have cried more than you are doing now.
We were not going to have mercy on unrepentant idiots like you and everything associated with colonialism, oppression, racism and slavery. If that had happened you would be history today and even your bones were not going to be recovered.
Similarly, we have now given more than necessary and its the sellout's turn to also give. Zanu-pf and President Mugabe have done what is required of them to do in the GPA and so are not going to do anything more than what they have done already until the stooge of USA and UK does his part. We are not going to entertain anything outside the GPA.
Dr Gono and A-G Tomana, besides having been appointed to their posts in accordance with the laws of Zimbabwe, are not in the GPA but sanctions are one of the leading items in the GPA. Pirate radio stations and interference from UK and USAs MI6 and CIA respectively are in the GPA. Only after exhausting the GPA can we then go to peripheral issues like provincial governors.
Like in Parliament, we are going to read item-by-item (ticking) to see who has done what and who has not done what. Tsvangirai and his puppet party are going to be found guilty of negligence, procrastinating and arrogance.