Negotiators set to present report
Published on: 7th December, 2009
Negotiators set to present report | Related News
By Tichaona Sibanda
Negotiators from ZANU PF and the MDC were expected to present a detailed report on the current state of talks between the parties to their principals on Monday.
There have been no leaks from the negotiating teams except vague suggestions that the parties are close to reaching an agreement on some minor issues, but none of the key ones. The negotiators worked all weekend until late on Sunday.
The facilitation team, led by ANC stalwarts Charles Nqakula and Mac Maharaj and President Jacob Zuma’s international relations advisor, Lindiwe Zulu, were scheduled to meet the negotiators on Monday.
When the team returns to Pretoria on Tuesday they are expected to present President Zuma with a report, which he will forward to President Armando Guebuza of Mozambique, the current chairman of Troika.
Harare based journalist Stanley Gama told us the media was finding it very difficult to cover the story because of the secrecy surrounding the talks.
A SADC Troika summit gave the parties up to December 5 to meet and review the implementation of the GPA and resolve all outstanding issues, under South Africa’s facilitation.
It’s not clear if the facilitation team will meet Robert Mugabe, Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara. The three principals were due to meet on Monday for their weekly indaba.
SW Radio Africa is reliably informed that Mugabe, and possibly Tsvangirai, might leave Harare on Monday night to attend a UN climate summit in Copenhagen in Denmark. Both leaders were invited to the summit by the UN.
There was speculation in the media that Mugabe was going to make an ‘important announcement’ concerning the set up of the four constitutional commissions that were established by government as stipulated in the GPA.
However, Mugabe has had the names of the commissioners for the last two months, which highlights how slow any progess is and how Mugabe is deliberately stalling.
However our Harare correspondent Simon Muchemwa said Mugabe might finally announce the names of commissioners to sit on the Zimbabwe Media Commission, the Independent Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, the Anti-Corruption Commission and the Human Rights Commission.
‘We are just waiting for news but at the moment nothing is being said by the government. There is a feeling of frustration among journalists here because the government or negotiators are not forthcoming with any information,’ Muchemwa said.
It’s now ten months since the formation of the inclusive government and the political rivals are still haggling over the full implementation of the SADC-brokered unity agreement.
Tsvangirai accuses Mugabe of unilaterally appointing party loyalists to executive positions in government in violation of the GPA.
Top among the contentious issues is the appointment by Mugabe of Attorney General Johannes Tomana, central bank Governor Gideon Gono and 10 governors from ZANU PF.
The MDC is also demanding a stop to renewed state sponsored violence, the prosecution of party activists on spurious charges, continued bias against it by the state media, fresh farm invasions by ZANU PF supporters and the clandestine deployment of military personnel to instill fear among villagers in the countryside.
ZANU PF has cited the removal of the Western-imposed targeted sanctions, the so-called ‘pirate’ radio stations and what they allege is the establishment of parallel government structures by the Prime Minister’s Office. SW Radio Africa
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