Zanu PF kick out Zuma facilitation team

By Staff Reporter

HARARE – Zanu PF on Wednesday reportedly kicked out members of South African President Jacob Zuma’s backroom facilitation team from a full Joint Monitoring and Implementation (Jomic) meeting arguing they had no mandate to attend.

Battling to contain the fallout from two weeks of arbitrary arrests and the seizing of shortwave radios from hapless villagers, the under-fire Zanu PF rejected a proposal from the two MDC formations that the facilitation team led by Mr Charles Nqakula attend the meeting.

Professor Jonathan Moyo who stood in for negotiator Nicholas Goche accused the two MDC formations of wanting to expand the role of Jomic.

“They wanted Jomic’s role to include monitoring and observing the general elections but we refused arguing that Jomic’s duty is to monitor the implementation of the Global Political Agreement in the inclusive Government,” he said.

“The last important implementation was the referendum in terms of the GPA and it has ended and that also means the end of Jomic. Jomic does not have a mandate to monitor the elections because this is not a GPA issue because polls also involve other political parties and independent candidates,” he claimed.

It’s understood the South African team came to the meeting along with three new members seconded to the facilitation team by Sadc. They wanted to formally introduce the three members from Zambia, Tanzania and Namibia.

The facilitation team told them that they wanted to reactivate Jomic before the general elections arguing the Sadc Troika meeting held in South Africa last week had received a report from President Zuma that the monitoring committee was inactive. The dossier submitted to Zuma was prepared by the MDC – T.

“At today’s (yesterday) meeting of co-chairpersons, Mrs Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga (MDC) was not there but she was represented by Mr Qhubani Moyo, Nicholas Goche (Zanu-PF) was represented by Professor Jonathan Moyo while Mr Elton Mangoma represented the MDC-T,” a source said.

“The MDC formations maintained their stance and Zanu-PF was unmoved on its position barring the facilitation team. It was agreed that the matter be referred to the principals for resolution,” a source said.

Mrs Misihairabwi-Mushonga said they had met the facilitation team and presented them with their challenges. “All I can say is we met the facilitation team and the major issue we talked about was the political violence that is happening in different parts of the country.

“We updated them on the referendum as well as other challenges we are facing with our counterparts,” she said.