Mutambara says Mugabe is not ready for serious talks

By Violet Gonda
18 June 2007

ZANU PF and the MDC finally held the first round of talks in South Africa this weekend after a number of attempts by President Thabo Mbeki to get the parties to the negotiating table. Senior officials from both ZANU PF and MDC confirmed the meetings took place but remain mum on the issues discussed. However, there are mixed reactions on the weekend’s development. Some observers believe progress has been made as the ruling party had been dragging its feet on the SADC led initiative. But others are not pinning much hope on the talks.
Many believe the Mugabe regime is not playing fair while the negotiations are underway, as there are numerous examples which show there is no political will on the part of the regime.
• Arthur Mutambara, the President of one faction of the MDC involved in the talks had his passport seized and four of his officials arrested last Friday;
• Two MDC activists who were abducted from Matobo district were found dead last week;
• Several MDC activists, one of them a parliamentarian, are still in police custody on what the opposition says are trumped up charges.
• The regime is going ahead with constitutional amendments to harmonise both the parliamentary elections.
• On Monday the ruling party started the voter registration exercise under the supervision of the controversial registrar-general Tobaiwa Mudede. This is despite the opposition saying an independent electoral commission should be appointed. This is also one of the demands the MDC has submitted to SADC through Thabo Mbeki.

Speaking after learning his passport had been released late on Monday Mutambara said it is clear that Robert Mugabe is not taking these talks seriously as he continues to harass the opposition. Mutambara said the intention was to destabilize and disrupt opposition activities: “In particular they were trying to undermine a Save Zimbabwe Campaign that we were going to take to Europe. Out colleagues Morgan Tsvangirai, (Lovemore) Madhuku, (Bishop Levee) Kadenge and the others have already left so what they have done is to undermine that coalition, to undermine that working together spirit.”
Mutumbara was supposed to have left with the other leaders on Saturday but could not because of the passport seizure. Three of the four opposition leaders arrested on Friday were released Saturday while Nicholas Nqabutho Dube - who carried Mutambara’s passport - was released Monday afternoon. They were all released without charge. Mutambara said he is now making preparations to meet the other opposition and civic leaders in Europe this week.

He said the political parties have been given strict instructions not to talk to the press by the South African President, as part of his conditions for involvement. But the MDC leader was willing to talk about the situation on the ground back home and how it affects the mood of the talks. He said: “What is happening right now – the torture and murder of our members, the torture and abuse of our members is an indication that Mugabe is not ready for any serious talks with the opposition.”
Mutambara believes Mugabe is only going through the motions of discussions and is not prepared to discuss with the opposition as equals. “So yes, Mugabe is not negotiating in good faith and hence it undermines the effectiveness of this process because we don’t see any sincerity in the efforts of Mugabe because of what he is doing to the opposition.”

When asked why the opposition is going ahead with this charade, Mutambara said they agreed to give the Mbeki initiative a chance but ultimately freedom will come from Zimbabweans themselves.