ZANU PF fail to turn up for SA led talks

By Violet Gonda
9 July 2007

There are reports that the Mbeki mediated talks between ZANU PF and MDC did not take place this weekend after the ruling party delegation failed to turn up for the planned meeting in Pretoria. Sources say the MDC delegation of Tendai Biti and Professor Welshman Ncube, ended up returning to Zimbabwe on Monday after waiting around for two days. It is not clear why the ZANU PF Ministers - Patrick Chinamasa and Nicholas Goche - failed to show up as a tight lid is still being kept on the progress of the talks, but observers say there is no political will on the part of ZANU PF.

Eddie Cross, an official from the Tsvangirai MDC, confirmed to us that the meeting didn’t take place: He said: “The MDC team has returned to Zimbabwe and no discussion took place in South. The ZANU PF team didn’t arrive, so this creates a very difficult situation for Thabo Mbeki because South Africa is sponsoring these talks.”

There are no details as to why the ruling party didn’t not show up but it is believed that ZANU PF would use the total economic chaos in Zimbabwe as an excuse.

In March SADC leaders mandated South African President Thabo Mbeki to bring the political parties to the negotiating table to establish conditions for free and fair elections for next year. But some analysts say the “no-show” by ZANU PF proves the regime is playing games and lacks the incentive to enter negotiations. At the same time the government is preparing for elections using the same tactics as in previous years where widespread rigging and intimidation was reported. Evidentially ZANU PF does not see anything to be gained by talks, neither are they too concerned about snubbing President Mbeki.

Although both sides finally agreed on an agenda for the talks last month, time is running out, as the parties have yet to start the actual talks. The demands of the opposition are well publicised but the latest utterances by Robert Mugabe this past weekend, demonstrate the lack of seriousness the regime is taking in the process. One of the demands of the opposition is for a new constitution to pave the way for a free and fair election but Mugabe said this weekend that there was absolutely no need for a new one.

The state broadcaster said: "President Robert Mugabe says the current constitution serves the nation well and there is no reason to change it."

In a related issue, regional leaders are believed to be working on a financial rescue package to bail out the bankrupt regime.

The Cape Times newspaper quoted SADC executive secretary Tomaz Salamao, who has been mandated to find an economic solution to the Zimbabwe crisis. He is reportedly considering including Zimbabwe in the Common Monetary Area (CMA). This is a solution where the Zimbabwean currency can be pegged to the stronger Rand. This is believed to be the “sweetener or incentive” being used to try to bring Mugabe to the talks as the “proposal would apparently be conditional on Mugabe accepting the sort of fundamental political reforms which are to be negotiated in the ZANU PF and MDC dialogue in Pretoria.”