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| author/source:Standard (Zimb) |
| published:Sun 6-Dec-2009 |
| posted on this site:Sun 6-Dec-2009 |
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| Article Type : News |
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| Parties smuggling in new issues |
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By Kholwani Hyathi
The one-month deadline Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai gave President Robert Mugabe to fully implement their power-sharing agreement lapses today and the feuding parties still have little to show for their two-week long negotiations. But political analysts say there is no reason to press the panic button yet. Tsvangirai and his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) on November 5 ended their boycott of Zanu PF in the unity government after they were persuaded by regional leaders at an emergency summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) troika on peace and security in Maputo to give the coalition a chance. MDC-T in October boycotted dealing with Zanu PF in cabinet and council of ministers meetings in protest against Mugabe’s reluctance to fully implement the GPA which led to the formation of the unity government in February.
Announcing the decision after the regional summit Tsvangirai said: “We have suspended our disengagement from the GPA with immediate effect and we will give President Robert Mugabe 30 days to implement the agreement on the pertinent issues we are concerned about.” Although the parties resumed negotiations on November 23, there is little to show that they have narrowed their differences over the controversial appointments of Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono and Attorney General Johannes Tomana. The MDC-T also wants Mugabe to swear into office its treasurer general Roy Bennett as Deputy Minister of Agriculture but the veteran leader has insisted that the he will not budge until the former Chimanimani MP is cleared of terrorism, insurgency and banditry charges. The issues on the agenda have ballooned from six when the latest round of talks began to 27 and the negotiators are now saying the deadline is just a time frame that was meant to emphasise the urgency needed to conclude the talks.
There are genuine fears the negotiations could drag on until next year and in the process delay a number of time-critical result areas for the transitional government such as the constitution-making process and preparations for fresh, free and fair elections. But Brilliant Mhlanga, a Zimbabwean academic based at the University of Westminster in the United Kingdom said there can never be a deadline for warring parties to resolve their differences. “It was not a deadline but a time frame as Welshman Ncube (MDC secretary general) put it and Zimbabweans must not panic that the time frame has lapsed without any tangible results,” he said. “The MDC-T will not disengage from the unity government. What should worry Zimbabweans is the fact that these parties have not implemented something that they agreed on a year ago. It means that Zimbabweans will enter the New Year devoid of hope because it seems after going 120 steps forward, we take 120 steps backwards.”
University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer, Simon Badza said it was always going to be difficult to meet the SADC time line because Zanu PF and MDC-T were poles apart on a number of issues. “We always said the time frame was too ambitious,” he said. “But the fact that they have missed the deadline must not be cause for alarm, maybe it’s just a polite way of saying we don’t need SADC to give us deadlines...we will solve our issues as Zimbabweans.” His views were shared by Takura Zhangazha, the director of the Zimbabwean chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa, who said the parties might ask for more time from the facilitator, South African President Jacob Zuma, who was expected in the country this week to review progress. However, the analysts see the talks gaining momentum after the Zanu PF congress later this week where the party will be seeking to put its house in order after divisive nominations for the presidium.
“Zanu PF will play politics just like the MDC-T is bound to do,” Zhangazha said. “But after the congress things will move smoothly because Mugabe will still be the Zanu PF principal and outstanding issues will be resolved." On the ballooning agenda, Mhlanga said it could have more to do with SADC’s decision to bring in a new facilitation team led by Zuma, who replaced his predecessor Thabo Mbeki. Zuma also appointed a new facilitation team made up of Charles Nqakula, Mac Maharaj and Lindiwe Zulu. Mhlanga said the parties could be smuggling in new issues into the agenda to test if the new team can handle them differently. Mbeki was accused by the MDC-T of being too soft on President Mugabe and allowing him to get away with too many transgressions. “Some of these issues the parties are bringing were agreed on and some even enacted into law as part of Constitutional Amendment Number 19,” Mhlanga said. “I think it’s time both Zanu PF and MDC-T understand that Zimbabweans expect them to implement what they agreed on and move this country forward.”
The new issues on the table now include media reform, which was agreed on well before the formation of the unity government and the tussle for diplomatic posts including those that are not yet vacant. Zanu PF and MDC-T are already fighting for the South African diplomatic posting in anticipation that the current envoy, Simon Khaya Moyo will be endorsed as Zanu PF chairman during the party’s congress. Mugabe is also backtracking on the issue of provincial governors long after he gave the MDC formations the nod to identify candidates in provinces where they won most seats in last year’s elections. But the veteran leader after taking a cue from some of his loyalists now says it is his prerogative to appoint the governors who must be an extension of his office in the provinces. There is also the counter accusation between MDC-T and Zanu PF that they are running parallel government structures with the once powerful service chiefs still refusing to embrace the new dispensation.
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