Mugabe, Tsvangirai & Mutambara meet Friday

By Tichaona Sibanda
13 November 2009

The three principals to the Global Political Agreement met in Harare on Friday to start a ‘renewed drive’ to settle their political conflict, which nearly derailed the inclusive government. James Maridadi, Tsvangirai’s spokesman, confirmed the meeting but told us he had not been briefed yet of what transpired.

The SADC Troika summit in Maputo, Mozambique last week, resolved that the principals had 15-30 days to engage in dialogue about all the outstanding issues in the implementation of the GPA and the SADC communiqué of 27 January 2009.

The importance of the January communiqué is that it cleared stated that the appointments of the Reserve Bank Governor and the Attorney General should be dealt with by the inclusive government after its formation. It added that negotiators would work out the formula for the distribution of the Provincial Governors.

Robert Mugabe has been saying it was his prerogative alone to appoint the governors and the Reserve Bank Governor and AG.

The meeting came on the day that Botswana President, Ian Khama, said that if the political impasse in Zimbabwe cannot be resolved, the best solution is to hold fresh elections.

In an address to the nation in Gaborone, Khama said in the absence of a genuine partnership, it would be better for all parties to return to the people, ‘for they are the ultimate authority to determine who should form the government of Zimbabwe.’

Negotiators from the three parties are expected to begin their talks next week and SW Radio Africa is reliably informed that the issues that will dominate the next round of negotiations are not the ones that Zimbabweans really need to see addressed. Instead, the talks will focus on the removal of targeted sanctions and the shutting down of independent radio stations broadcasting from abroad. These are ZANU PF demands. Tsvangirai has already said he was not responsible for the sanctions and the country’s international isolation, and he certainly has no control over the external radio stations.

The Prime Minister has said that Mugabe needs to appoint the Zimbabwe Media Commission, and genuinely free up the media, allowing independent radio stations to broadcast in Zimbabwe.

The MDC also insist the appointments of Gono and Tomana as central bank governor and attorney general, must be rescinded. Tsvangirai also wants provincial governors from his party to be appointed as soon as possible, as well as deputy Minister of Agriculture designate, Roy Bennett.

SADC, who are the guarantors of the political agreement that led to inclusive government in February, say they are still hopeful the deadlock between Mugabe and Tsvangirai can be resolved. They appointed South African President Jacob Zuma, whose country facilitated the unity agreement, to visit Harare two weeks after the SADC summit, to review progress.