Harare — South African President Jacob Zuma arrived in Harare yesterday late afternoon amid indications that all negotiations on implementation of the Global Political Agreement should be concluded this month.
Negotiating teams from Zanu-PF and the two MDC formations will likely meet at the end of the month to prepare the final document on the negotiations.
President Zuma will hold discussions with President Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy PM Arthur Mutambara.
The South African leader was met at the Harare International Airport by Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces President Mugabe.
Senior Government officials at the airport included Vice President John Nkomo, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Deputy Prime Ministers Arthur Mutambara and Thokozani Khupe and several ministers.
President Zuma inspected a Guard of Honour mounted by the Presidential Guard at the airport after which he met cheering Zanu-PF supporters who had come to welcome him.
He last night met his facilitation team ahead of meetings with GPA principals today.
The South African team, comprising former ministers Mac Maharaj and Charles Ngcakula as well President Zuma's international relations advisor Ms Lindiwe Zulu, arrived on Monday.
Zanu-PF negotiator Cde Patrick Chinamansa yesterday said: "We met yesterday (Monday) with the facilitators for two hours in preparation of President Zuma's arrival ahead of his meeting with the principals tomorrow (today).
"We also briefed the facilitation team on progress made so far.
"We informed them that we will meet on March 25, 26 and 29 to finalise a report that will be submitted to the principals and subsequently the facilitator," he said.
Minister Chinamasa could not be drawn to comment on agreements or lack thereof in the discussions.
"The final document will indicate the agreements and disagreements that have been made but we are not in a position to discuss these at the moment."
He added: "President Zuma's visit to Zimbabwe is most welcome and we appreciate his continued interest to resolve issues between political parties in Zimbabwe.
"We also acknowledge that they are the facilitation team to our discussions and are here to help so they are most welcome."
Cde Chinamasa hailed President Zuma's continued fight for an end to the illegal Western sanctions on Zimbabwe.
"We appreciate the vigorous campaign against the illegal sanctions while commending him in his efforts to lobby the International Monetary Fund to normalise relations with us.
"President Zuma has demonstrated greater commitment to promoting Zimbabwe's interests than some people here," he said.
Cde Nicholas Goche is Zanu-PF's other negotiator in the talks while MDC-T is represented by Mr Tendai Biti and Mr Elton Mangoma.
Professor Welshman Ncube and Mrs Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga represent MDC.
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Zuma can do little as he has compromised himself, Bob knows he has a weakness for money, materials and women. Afew dollars, a farm or two a bit of Zim crumpit and JZ will be putty in Bobs hands. Nothing will happen.
Nnana Obi speak your mind brother / sister and it does not matter where you are from. What you say would save our country many tears during election time and what Nyerere and those others did was African leaders showing leadership for peace instead of always relying on outsiders to quell our lawlessness. Who benefits most by such involvement? Those down-trodden and forsaken citizens who suffer the most, are our mothers and their children. Whilst our mothers and grandmothers are out there scratching around to make ends meet because we the men are jobless going door to door, our leaders are out in their Benzes looting diamonds and keeping land that we all hold precious to themselves. It is a shame that we Zimbabweans do not see these injustices perpetrated to us by our own government. What was our Independence about? To fatten a few? It is now all very disillusioning.
Cry baby---what a traversty of emotional intelligence!
After concocting a bag of lies, you put it on your tender shoulders, and now you are crying like a weak, helpless, irrational, little baby.
MARCH OR DIE!
You will march if and only if you stop manufacturing illusions in the theater of the absurd.
Accordingly, your misery is self-induced.
Cheers, then, from ZONE BACKBONE: HERE I STAND, WITH ABSOLUTE FAITH IN AFRICA, NO MATTER WHAT real adversity I FACE. Thus, speak AUTHENTIC AFRICAN MEN AND WOMEN.
DOWN, THEN, WITH INVADER IMPORTED EMOTIONAL PATHOLOGICAL AFFECT OR TINSEL TOWN MELODRAMATIC DUNG!
richerson88 my response somehow posted here under the wrong topic of discussion. As such you do not know then what topic lead me to this particular response. You do not know what is happening in my life and in the lives of many other Zimbabweans who want nothing more than stability, jobs, and the very basics of human life. I lost some members of my family to cholera and now to typhoid. Why do we not have clean water and good sanitation in Zimbabwe anymore? The pipes are broken, people dig holes and human waste spills into our drinking water. Our government is doing NOTHING my friend because their children are schooling in other countries where they enjoy what their fathers are denying our children. You and your like should be ashamed of yourselves for supporting this oppressive government that we did not bargain for when we put our lives on the line for our independence. Today I learned that Tendai Biti has met the foreign minister of Australia and will be given USA13 million dollars for our sanitation and water problems. What a shame it is that we have to scrounge and a far off foreign man has to feel sorry for us and give us help when we have our own men in government. Our men in government are too busy enriching themselves and could not be bothered about the rest of us. Well done Mr Biti and thank you to Australia. And to you richerson88 grow up my boy and I should not even be wasting my time responding to an egghead.
Men, real African men, do not regret their actions; they don't play the childish game of should have, could have, and other silly haves.
The actuality is that you responded, and that's all that matters.
As for your pitiful regrets, the one supra inclusive, I say to you, fool: you have no understanding of "what is going on" (Marvelous Marvin Gaye).
NONE AT ALL, period.
Let's assume that your brief of tragedies is true. Responsibilty thereof lies, given the unequivocal historical record, squarely on the sordid and tired shoulders of INVADERDOM, and that, period too.
Accordingly, DOMBO, you're barking at the wrong tree.
But, that is to be rationally expected of an INVADER brainwashed roach like you, and "roach" is a very, very, very charitable characterization, given your boneheaded post.
Cheers, then, from MISSION SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT and from THE AFRICAN RHETORICAL MISSION OF ROACH EXTERMINATION.
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