Has Zuma finally managed to persuade Mugabe to implement GPA?

By Violet Gonda
19 March 2010

Zimbabwe is back to square one. The Global Political Agreement was signed in 2008. On Thursday South African President Jacob Zuma announced that the main political parties in Zimbabwe had finally agreed to implement what they had signed up to, after more than a year of haggling.

Although there has been no official confirmation on what exactly has been agreed, speculation is rife that the leaders have negotiated the positions of the two staunch ZANU PF allies - Central Bank Governor Gideon Gono and Attorney General Johannes Tomana. Reports suggest Gono will retain his position, but that Tomana will be given a less key position.

Some say a deal, over the two, had to be made to make the inclusive government move forward, while others say this will still leave in place the people who funded or perpetuated the repression.

Critics say if indeed Gono remains and Tomana is moved to another position it will be the MDC who will have made a huge concession. The MDC has pushed for the removal of both the men, since Mugabe made their unilateral appointments, in contravention of the Global Political Agreement.

The negotiators of the three main parties are set to resume talks to discuss the ‘implementation mechanisms’, starting March 25. They are expected to report to the facilitator by the 31st March.

Political analyst Rejoice Ngwenya said: “The problem that we can see here is of a political party that has a junior party mentality - a political party that has given too much respect to Robert Mugabe. It’s a political party that has an electoral majority but they don’t seem to be getting to grips of the situation.”

Ngwenya added that it’s time the MDC showed what alternative they have to offer Zimbabwe, if this agreement does not work by the March 31st deadline and stop the ‘diplomatic talk about Mugabe being a good partner’, when he has clearly failed to change.

One observer said: “I think we should be highly skeptical of any deal: last time a timeline was set, Mugabe went on an overseas trip. I think the one positive thing is the meeting with Roy Bennett, after all he is on charges of terrorism and was warmly greeted by the South African President.”

The South African leader also met with Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa and Security Minister Sydney Sekeramayi, plus Gono and Tomana.

The Star newspaper reports that Zuma used tactics different from the ‘soft’ approach by former president Thabo Mbeki, resulting in Mugabe agreeing to swear in MDC governors. It is still not known when the governors will be sworn in as they have already lost almost two years of their term in office. Mugabe had unilaterally appointed ZANU PF governors in 2008, shortly after signing the GPA.

The South Africa newspaper also said: “And on the thorny issue of the EU's targeted sanctions against Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies, Zuma managed to get a deal whereby a committee from the government, comprising all three political parties, would be sent to Brussels next month to tackle the subject directly with the EU.”

Meanwhile the pressure group, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, said it is deeply concerned over the failure to democratise the country and implement the GPA. “What is of concern to civil society are statements by some political players that elections would be held in 2011 yet no progress has been made in creating a conducive environment for such.”

Mugabe recently said there will be elections in February 2011 when the lifespan of the inclusive government comes to an end, with or without a new constitution. “This means Zimbabwe might go to another poll with the same skewed voter’s roll, a partisan Electoral Commission and flawed delimitations, repressive laws and a militarised political environment – all ingredients for another contested electoral outcome. What this simply means is that the same old politics that led Zimbabwe to where it is today will be repeated and lives lost to politically motivated violence,” said the Coalition in a statement on Friday.

Civil society and Zimbabweans everywhere now wait, once again, to see if finally Mugabe is going to genuinely share power, and fully implement the GPA.