Harare — SOUTH African President Jacob Zuma is now pushing Zanu PF and the two MDC formations to expedite the resolution of outstanding issues in time for the 2011 elections, amid growing impatience among regional leaders and investors.
Zuma has been seized with the task of facilitating the resolution of issues that threaten the implementation of the Global Political Agreement (GPA), which created the inclusive government.
Although nothing has been finalised on this proposal, Zuma's spokesperson Vincent Magwenya yesterday told The Standard that the South African leader wants elections next year.
Magwenya was speaking ahead of the resumption today of talks between the three governing parties on the outstanding issues on the implementation of the GPA.
"He (President Zuma) is looking forward to an election in 2011," Magwenya said. "That is not his proposal, but it is what the Zimbabweans agreed.
"The parties must work really hard to implement the GPA so that by the time of the elections in 2011, the situation is conducive."
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In an interview with SAFM radio station in Johannesburg on Friday, Zuma said the parties in the coalition should be flexible enough to "move without resolving" some of the thorny issues around the key appointments of Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono and Attorney-General Johannes Tomana.
"Are these issues (Gono and Tomana) so fundamental that we cannot move without resolving them? Can we park them and proceed?" said Zuma.
"I'm sure the Zimbabweans have to open up and look at the issues from all angles," he said.
Magwenya said Zuma's proposal entailed evaluating the issues to see whether or not their delayed resolution would affect the holding of elections.
"Evaluation has to be made on how critical those issues are ... are those issues worth stalling the process (of holding the elections next year)? He is not saying those issues have to be ignored," he said.
"What the President is simply saying is that if we get to elections and there are still contentious issues that need to be resolved, those will be evaluated to see whether they will affect the process."
The talks are scheduled to resume today, with pressure mounting on the negotiators to reach an agreement and pave way for national reconstruction.
Magwenya said Zuma's facilitation team of Mac Maharaj, Lindiwe Zulu and Charles Nqakula will keep a close eye on the talks.
"In essence, Zuma is looking forward to a point where this process is concluded," he added.
"The facilitation team is going to continue to appraise President Zuma and President (of Mozambique, Armando) Guebuza.
"The President is saying let us implement those issues where there is agreement. Our facilitation is to create a conducive environment for the holding of elections."
But the MDC-T on Friday said there was no going back on their demand to have "all the issues resolved".
Addressing a press conference in Harare, party spokesperson Nelson Chamisa said they expected the process to resolve all issues currently on the table.
"I am the least qualified to comment on what President Zuma says, but we would want all issues resolved, as they are fundamental in our view," Chamisa said.
"It is our view that these negotiations will bring all these issues to finality so that we are able to move... If we fail to deal with all the outstanding issues, the only option is to seek the guidance of our guarantors (Sadc and the African Union)."
"The talks are simply about punctuating our signatures with action, our colleagues (Zanu PF) are trying to run away from their signatures," Chamisa said.
"We cannot continue to discuss these issues ad infinitum. All our issues are fundamental and we hope they are going to be addressed fully."
On the possibility of elections next year, Chamisa said "that is what the GPA says", but the elections could only go ahead if the GPA is fully implemented.
"Our view and hope is that free and fair elections will be held once there is a conducive environment."
The coalition partners are still not coming out clearly on when the next elections will be held with some quarters advocating for the unity government to serve a full five-year term.
The five years would expire in 2013.
But others want an election as soon as a new constitution is in place. At the earliest the new supreme law might be in place by early next year.
President Robert Mugabe has in recent months also hinted at an early election.
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Know what is amusing?
The less-free South Africans believing that they can have real influence over the LIBERATED ZIMBABWEAN PATRIOTS! lol
ANC leaders should be concentrating more on the continued urgent need for a TOTAL liberation of indigenous Lands, Wealth & Resources from racist and criminal invaders!
Africans in South African CANNOT be living in squalor, while criminal invaders continue to live in the splendor of STOLEN African wealth.
That should be the concern of Zuma: Africans not controlling ALL of THEIR indigenous Lands, Wealth & Resources in South Africa.
So how are the elections going to be free and fair next year when we have a partisan Artorney general(remember Biti being held for Treason, false arrests of Mr Tsvangirai, and what is happening to Bennet)? Mr Zuma?
What is probably going to happen is that Zanu-PF candidates will be able to freely canvas whilst MDC will see its members arrested en masse on trumped up charges just to stop them. These are also the times that Mugabe's opposition members meet with "accidents."
Elder, the elections organized by SADC were free and to some extent fair, when Morgan Tsvangirai won that poll!! The MDC did a lot by following the counting of the ballots. They were able to maintain their own count and SADC was able to verify that.
Clearly Mugabe will have a hard time winning the elections the next time again. He knows that and we all know that. Maybe the MDC should focus on the next elections as oppossed to the GNU. The GNU is viewed as beneficial by most Zimbabwean people and the MDC need to play along that. But, the focus should be on the upcoming elections!
The less free South Africans. What a great way to thank Nelson Mandela helping to bring about the Rainbow nation which is the envy of all africa. They are so oppressed that they are holding the football world cup, they are so less free that they can ALL go to school, hospital and anywhere they want. There roads are the best in africa, the hospitals the best, the schools incredible, there's so much investment going into south africa, All South Africans can eat more than once a day. Now compare that to Zimbabwe under the likes of this El Quaida terrorist Boboon Mugape. The sooner these elections happen the better then the true leader Morgan Tsvangarai can lead the nation to a much brighter future. Zuma is right, he's got every right to be annoyed with Bob for messing up all the investmant opotunities for the whole of southern africa.
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