Messages From Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe will form a unity government “as soon as possible” and a minister said he would invite opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai to nominate members of a joint cabinet. Asked when a new cabinet will be announced, Mugabe told Zimbabwe state television (ZTV) on Monday: “We will try to institute it as soon as possible.” A summit of regional leaders on Sunday said Zimbabwe must form a unity government immediately and that Mugabe and the opposition should share control of the pivotal home affairs ministry, but Tsvangirai swiftly rejected the call.

(Source)

Zimbabwe’s opposition MDC on Thursday said President Robert Mugabe’s ruling party had put a “full stop” to negotiations on forming a government by carrying out what it said was widespread violence.

“In short ZANU PF has killed the dialogue despite the hopes, patience and expectations of the people of Zimbabwe. The bottom line is that ZANU PF must be upfront with the Zimbabwean people and openly bury the corpse of these talks,” it said in a statement ahead of a regional summit on the deadlocked talks.

(Source)

Tuesday 28 October 2008, Harvest House, Harare

Fellow Zimbabweans, members of the media fraternity, the Extra-Ordinary Summit of the SADC Organ on Politics Defence and Security Cooperation Troika concluded in the early hours of the 28th of October 2008. In the communiqué released by the Troika, pursuant to this summit, the Troika has decided to refer the Zimbabwe issue to a full summit of SADC which should be held as soon as possible.

On our part, we thank the Troika for yet again sacrificing their time, patience and experience on the issue of Zimbabwe, more particularly, President Monthlante of South Africa and President Guebuzza of Mozambique and every other leader who attended the summit. Zimbabwe is privileged that it can count as friends, countries in the region and distinguished African statesmen such as President Guebuzza and President Monthlante.

It is regrettable that the Troika could not narrow the gaps between the Zimbabwe parties. In our view, an urgent summit towards the resolution of the Zimbabwe crisis is paramount. Zimbabweans are suffering and dying. The State has dismally failed to provide the least basic social amenities and our people have been reduced to a primitive mode of production in depths that have not been known even in many warring situations.

At the core of our differences, in our view, is the lack of sincerity and good faith on the part of ZANU PF. The fact that contrary to the Global Political Agenda (GPA), ZANU PF is still interfering with the distribution of humanitarian assistance, and the fact that it is still emasculating basic freedoms is equally unacceptable.

We condemn in the strongest language the recent assaults of the members of the Zimbabwe Students Union (ZINASU) and the continued incarceration of the members of the Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA).

Even yesterday as the dialogue process was in progress, ZANU PF had the audacity of insulting and assaulting civic society and MDC activists who were merely expressing their freedom of expression. That lack of sincerity is demonstrated in the total disrespect of the MDC and its leader Mr. Morgan Tsvangirai and the attempt to reduce the same to disinterested bystanders in the cooperative government despite the fact that it is the MDC that has the legitimate peoples’ mandate following its victory on the 29th of March 2008.

It is our hope that the SADC Summit will be convened with utmost urgency to deliberate on the outstanding issues;

1. The first critical outstanding issue is the allocation of portfolio ministries as enshrined in Article 20.1.6 (5) of the GPA. On this issue, the firm position of the MDC is that there are fundamental principles that are key, not just to the MDC, but to the people of Zimbabwe.

1.1. There cannot be responsibility without authority and,

1.2. There has to be equitable distribution of portfolio ministries.

In this regard the MDC has suggested a methodology in respect of which the key ministries are paired in the orders of importance and relative equality. We identified 10 (ten) key ministries which we believe are supposed to be shared equitably. For instance, we have paired Home Affairs to Defence, Justice and Legal Affairs to Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs, Mines and Minerals Development to Environment and Youth to Women. In our view equity and responsibility with authority can be achieved if the ministries are therefore allocated on the basis of the above methodology.

However, there is an attempt to ignore or overlook these fundamental principles and hence the claim in some circles that only the Portfolio Ministry of Home Affairs is outstanding. Nothing can be further from the truth.

2. The second outstanding issue is the appointment of the ten Provincial Governors in line with the outcome of the 29th of March elections.

3. The third outstanding issue is the question of the composition, functions and constitution of the National Security Council. This is a critical issue in view of the dangerous and partisan role that has been displayed by the intelligence services in this country.

4. The fourth outstanding issue pertains to the appointment of Permanent Secretaries and Ambassadors.

5. The fifth outstanding issue is the question of Constitutional Amendment No. 19 which is the legal document that is necessary and conditional in bringing the GPA into life.

6. The last point is the morally irreprehensible fact that the fraudulent alteration of the agreement of the 11th of September 2008 and the one that was signed on the 15th of September 2008. It is our understanding that the Troika in fact made a resolution that it is the agreement of the 11th of September 2008 that should be binding and we are indeed surprised that it was not captured in the communiqué.

From the above, it is clear that there is so much that still has to be done and a lot of goodwill, patience and wisdom, which so far has not been evident or has not been exercised.

On our part, we are fully alive to the historical obligations on our shoulders and the expectations of Zimbabweans. However, the one instruction that those suffering and abused people have been telling us at our massive rallies at Zimbabwe Grounds, Mkoba Stadium, Mutungagore Primary School, White City Stadium, Mamutse Stadium and all over Zimbabwe is a bold but simple one, A BAD DEAL IS NO DEAL AT ALL.

TENDAI BITI, MP

MDC SECRETARY GENERAL

(Source: via Skype)

A fourth ‘hidden’ political party has joined Zimbabwe’s power sharing talks further scuttling the process of forming an all-inclusive Government meant to bring the much-awaited stability to the country.

Members of ZAPU, a liberation struggle movement that was swallowed by ZANU PF during the formation of Unity Accord in 1987, have now come up in open saying they wanted the Government to honor promises that were made during the accord.

When the accord, was signed after five years of civil strive, it was agreed that although the two parties ZANU PF and ZAPU will form one part, the members of the ZAPU are supposed to get the post of the Vice President and the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Since the accord this status quo has remained but now faces a test, as the MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai is demanding the same portfolio during the current negotiations.
It is the issue of the Home Affairs ministry that has led to an impasse between ZANU PF and MDC that is threatening to tear the agreement apart

ZANU PF spokesman Patrick Chinamasa said ZANU PF could not let go the ministry since according to the Unity Accord, the portfolio was allocated to ZAPU.

“That is not negotiable. We cannot throw away the Unity Accord because of the MDC. The Home Affairs ministry belongs to ZAPU,” said Chinamasa.

However Chinamasa remarks have raised condemnation from political analysts and the e MDC.

MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said ZANU PF cannot bring in-house issues into the new negotiations.

“That is an in-house issue and they have to see how they will solve it. What we know is that we are negotiations with ZANU PF and the other MDC led by Mutambara and not ZAPU,” he said.

Political analysts have also said this was a sign of double standards by ZANU PF.

They noted that on the other hand ZANU PF goes around and say the two parties were united so they was no more ZAPU, but want to bring back the part only when it suits them.

“If it suits them, there is no ZAPU, but if it does then ZAPU is there. This is a sign of double standards and we cannot expect in houses issues to be brought when there is a new dispensation. Are they trying to say that the MDC must also bring some old alliances in the talks as well? It will cause more confusion,” said a political commentator with the University of Science and Technology.

Although political leaders in the country signed a power sharing deal in mid September, they have failed to form a new Government over the issue of allocation of ministers.

The MDC is accusing ZANU PF of trying to grab all the key ministries.

Chief negotiator and former South African President Thabo Mbeki spend four days in Zimbabwe trying to broker a deal but failed.

He referred the matter to SADC who failed to meet after the Government failed to issue Tsvangirai with a passport. The meeting will now be held on Monday.

(Source)

Opposition party leaders and diplomats have described the power-sharing agreement signed on September 15 as a “forgery” after it was discovered the document was an altered version of the original one agreed to on September 11. The issue has brought into question circumstances surrounding the deal which has caused anger and infighting in ZANU PF and the MDC. The parties are divided over the deal and have of late been battling to seal widening cracks. The September 15 document that was signed at the Rainbow Towers Hotel in Harare by President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister-designate Morgan Tsvangirai, and deputy prime minister-designate Arthur Mutambara with facilitator former South African President Thabo Mbeki, contains crucial omissions. Sources said the main MDC faction’s chief negotiator Tendai Biti has written to Mbeki about the changes - which he described as a “forgery” - and was assured that the issue would be rectified.

It is not known who made the alterations, but the agreement was tampered with after it was given to ZANU PF to allow government to do official binding and inserting in folders. In the September 11 document signed by all leaders, Section 20.1.7 which deals with senior government appointments states that “the parties agree that with respect to occupants of senior government positions such as permanent secretaries and ambassadors, the leadership of government, comprising the president, deputy presidents, prime minister and the deputy prime ministers will consult and agree on such prior to their appointment”. The paragraph is missing in the September 15 agreement. In place of that paragraph in the final agreement, Section 20.1.7 now has “Senate”. Even then the senate issue was changed.

In the September 11 agreement, the paragraph on the senate, Section 20.1.9 read: “The president shall, in his discretion, appoint five persons to the existing positions of presidential senatorial appointments. There shall be created an additional six (6) appointed senatorial posts, which shall be filled by persons appointed by the president, four (4) of whom will be nominated by MDC-T and two (2) by MDC-M.” This was changed in the final agreement. The final agreement now reads: “The president shall, in his discretion, appoint five persons to the existing positions of presidential senatorial appointments. “There shall be created an additional nine (9) appointed senatorial posts, which shall be filled by persons appointed by the president of whom three (3) will be nominated by ZANU PF, 3 by MDC-T and 3 by MDC-M”.

MDC leaders and diplomats said although the changes do not fundamentally alter the balance of power as enshrined in the agreement, they do raise questions of “chicanery” during the talks. “In criminal law this is called forgery,” a senior MDC official said. “We have raised this with Mbeki and we were assured that the issue would be rectified.” One diplomat said: “Although these issues appear minor, the question is not the alterations per se, but the motive behind it. Who did it and why?” Tsvangirai recently referred to this as “omissions” at a press briefing and indicated the issue was part of outstanding matters in the talks.

(Source)

Prime Minister-designate Morgan Tsvangirai has slammed President Robert Mugabe and ZANU PF for negotiating in bad faith over the allocation of government ministries and other aspects of the power-sharing agreement.

Tsvangirai’s assault on Mugabe came just days before the resumption on Monday of talks on the distribution of ministries which have been dragging on for about a month.

The attack reveals renewed tensions between the two bitter political rivals. The move is also part of Tsvangirai’s broad strategy to mobilise regional and international opinion against Mugabe ahead of the talks in Harare on Monday.

Tsvangirai told African diplomats yesterday in the capital that Mugabe and his party were not honest in the talks as shown by his failure to attend the Sadc troika meeting in Mbabane, Swaziland, earlier this week. The MDC leader briefed diplomats on the talks on allocation of ministries, the ground covered so far, and the problems encountered.

Sources said he spoke about what he described as Mugabe’s lack of sincerity in the talks, disrespect for African leaders and institutions, deception, acting in bad faith, and giving the MDC responsibilities without authority.

Tsvangirai is said to have expressed frustration with the way Mugabe has been behaving since the signing of the main agreement last month. It is understood he also dealt with the issue of former South African president Thabo Mbeki whom he said was not an impartial mediator.

This followed Mbeki’s report to the Sadc troika, which endorsed Mugabe’s gazetting of ministries on October 10, including the allocation of finance to Tsvangirai and rotation of Home Affairs between ZANU PF and the main MDC faction.

The MDC leader also dealt with the controversial issue of his passport, which he has been denied by the government.

Tsvangirai failed to attend a Sadc meeting in Swaziland on Monday due to problems over his travel document. He is currently using an emergency travel document because he has no passport. The government claims it cannot give him a new passport because it has no special paper to process it due to targeted sanctions by the West which they blame on the MDC.

Before briefing African diplomats yesterday, Tsvangirai had on Wednesday also briefed envoys from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. The OECD is an international organisation of 30 countries that accept the principles of representative democracy and free-market economies.

Those present at the meeting, held at the Spanish ambassador’s residence, were from the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada, Austria, Italy, Greece, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Portugal.

Tsvangirai said the fallout over his passport, which symbolised the limit on freedom of movement, was evidence that Mugabe was not sincere. He also wondered why Mugabe flew to Swaziland on a state aircraft, using public resources and leaving him behind.

Leader of the smaller formation of the MDC Arthur Mutambara on Monday attacked government over the Tsvangirai passport saga and warned that if the talks failed he would not join government, but would instead campaign for its further isolation.

South Africa’s governing ANC leader Jacob Zuma this week criticised as “weird” government’s decision not to give Tsvangirai a passport to go to Swaziland.

“Now you cannot have this kind of a situation when you are dealing with such an important matter. One of the very key figures cannot attend because he does not have a passport. I think that sounds weird,” Zuma said.

“If we have a package that has been agreed upon, hailed by the world, why should we have difficulty implementing it? After all, this is not a permanent arrangement. We are talking about an interim arrangement. Why should it be so difficult?”

Sources said Tsvangirai told diplomats that for the MDC the “bottom line in the deadlock and its resolution was the ministries of finance and home affairs”. Talks broke down last week largely over home affairs.

However, the MDC says there is still a problem over ministries of local government, foreign affairs, lands and agriculture, information, women, youth, justice and defence. Although defence has gone to Mugabe as the head of state and government, the MDC is using it to bargain for home affairs.

The failure by Mugabe and MDC leaders to agree on ministries has taken the Zimbabwe crisis back into the international spotlight. Top United Nations envoy Haile Menkerios, who is involved in the Zimbabwe issue as part of the mediation, was yesterday set to discuss the political crisis with Swaziland’s King Mswati, the chair of the Sadc organ on politics, defence and security.

The talks come three days after Mswati failed to host the Sadc meeting in Mbabane due to the passport saga.

Menkerios, also set to discuss the conflict in Congo and other regional security issues with Mswati, was expected to put pressure on the Swazi leader to get tougher with Mugabe on the issue. Sadc leaders are growing impatient with Mugabe, diplomats say.

Menkerios on Tuesday voiced confidence that a deal would be reached in Zimbabwe on Monday.

“I am confident that a deal will be reached between the two because both sides know by now that there is no other way but to sit down and reach an agreement,” he said in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The MDC said yesterday Tsvangirai would attend the Harare meeting on Monday.

(Source)

Former South African President Thabo Mbeki is on a collision course with Zimbabwe’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party after he endorsed President Robert Mugabe’s controversial decision to award his ruling ZANU PF party all the powerful ministries that the opposition want shared equally. Mbeki’s decision, contained in his facilitator’s report of which we have a copy, is likely to derail his entire mediation exercise in Zimbabwe as the MDC has come out with guns blazing and written him a “scathing response” telling the ousted South African leader that he has outlived his usefulness as mediator and must therefore quit. In his report, Mbeki largely supports the allocation of portfolios as unilaterally gazetted by Mugabe two weeks back with a few amendments proposed during Mbeki’s failed mediation mission last week.

“The facilitation commends the current allocation of ministerial posts to the parties for their adoption,” said Mbeki’s report in reference to the allocation decreed by Mugabe plus the few variations to the finance and home affairs portfolios. To the extent possible, all the parties have been allocated portfolios which allow them to have a presence in each of the priority sectors identified above.” Mbeki was referring to the urgent priority sectors identified in the power-sharing agreement signed on September 15. These seven priority tasks for the new unity government were the restoration of economic stability, delivery of social services, the rule of law, adoption of a new constitution, the land question, restructuring state organs and institutions, and national healing, cohesion and unity. Mbeki argued that these priority tasks should define which among the portfolios would serve as key ministries and should also be regarded as the common standard of measuring equity in power sharing. He then went on to analyse the ministries as allocated by Mugabe against each of the seven priority areas above.

The former President concluded that Mugabe’s gazetted list was fair as it would allow all three parties to play a role in these priority tasks, an argument fiercely rejected by Tsvangirai’s MDC (MDC-T). Mugabe had already rejected MDC-T’s proposal on allotting ministries submitted to Mbeki. For instance, Mbeki said MDC-T would play a key role in the priority area of writing a new constitution as it had been allocated the Ministry of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs. Mbeki also endorsed a proposal by Arthur Mutambara, who heads a breakaway faction of the MDC, and supported by Mugabe for Tsvangirai and ZANU PF to share the Ministry of Home Affairs on a rotational six-month basis. This, he said, would enable both parties to partake in the other priority task of restoring the rule of law. But the proposal had been rejected as not feasible by Tsvangirai who wanted sole control of home affairs, responsible for the police, since Mugabe already controlled state security and defence.

In Mbeki’s view, the list gazetted by Mugabe would allow Tsvangirai to play a key role in the priority area of restoration of economic stability since he would control the Ministry of Finance, which Mugabe had agreed to relinquish, as well as other ministries like economic planning and investment promotions, energy and power development, state enterprises and parastatals. But MDC-T also rejected that argument, noting that Mugabe had given himself control of all resource-based ministries like mines and mining development, agriculture, lands and resettlement, environment and natural resources and tourism. This would effectively keep the MDC away from all the critical resource-based ministries considered critical for economic transformation. Mbeki’s analysis on the priority areas effectively endorsed Mugabe’s own unilateral allocation.

Mbeki’s report did not even mention other key ministries disputed by MDC-T like defence, state security, information, foreign affairs and others as they did not directly fall in line with his suggestion of using priority tasks in the September 15 agreement to determine designation and allocation of lead ministries. These portfolios would therefore remain in Mugabe’s hands. MDC secretary-general Tendai Biti said he was not at liberty to comment on the facilitator’s controversial report. “We are shocked that you have that confidential document. We have however responded directly to him (Mbeki) but we won’t comment on our response in the media,” said Biti. However, ZimOnline is informed that the MDC-T’s response is so scathing and effectively accuses Mbeki of being Mugabe’s hatchet man. It asks him to “retire” as mediator, one source said.

Mbeki’s spokesman Mukoni Ratshitanga refused to comment saying the Zimbabwe talks were not being carried out in public. Mugabe has himself publicly boasted that his unilaterally gazetted list leaves him in “the driving seat” in government. MDC officials are therefore puzzled that Mbeki endorses the same list with slight pro-Mugabe variations. Meanwhile, the MDC-T, which boycotted a Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) troika summit on Monday over the Zimbabwe government’s decision to refuse Tsvangirai a passport, has threatened not to participate in the troika’s meeting rescheduled for next week in Harare if authorities persist with denying the MDC leader his passport.

(Source)

“I have just been advised that Morgan Tsvangirai will not be attending the meeting of the SADC Troika because he has not been issued with a passport. If this report is true I wish to make the following statement.

In terms of the agreement reached on the 15 September 2008 Morgan Tsvangirai is to become Prime Minister of Zimbabwe. For the past two months Morgan Tsvangirai has been denied a passport. In the context of the agreement what sort of goodwill is that?  I have raised this matter with President Mbeki and Mugabe.  We should never allow trivial matters such as this to affect the national interest. SADC has an opportunity to help Zimbabweans solve their national crisis by standing up to Mugabe’s unacceptable behaviour in this regard.

In light of the report I have received this morning I have demanded through President Mbeki that the Troika meeting be cancelled.  There can be no discussion of any value without Morgan Tsvangirai’s presence.

In the past few weeks I have ended up being a mediator-trying to do what I can to ensure that a credible deal be arrived at, specifically by ensuring that the MDC T obtains control of the Finance and Home Affairs Ministries.

The most important thing is that we should all have a common vision for Zimbabwe.  Pragmatism and flexibility should force the three leaders to come up with an acceptable agreement.

I stress that there needs to be a tripartite agreement.  As a political party we are not beholden either to Morgan Tsvangirai or Robert Mugabe - we are beholden to the suffering masses of Zimbabwe.  Just as we are opposed to any unilateral decision by Robert Mugabe so we will also oppose any activity by Morgan Tsvangirai to hold the nation to ransom.  There is absolutely no alternative to the tripartite agreement which must be concluded urgently.

If Robert Mugabe goes ahead unilaterally to form a government, the party that I lead will have no part of it. If Robert Mugabe unilaterally forms a government we will denounce and call for the global isolation of any such criminal and illegitimate government.”

Professor Arthur Mutambara

(Source: by email)

A troika of southern African countries seeking to break Zimbabwe’s political impass “can’t impose” a solution on the rival parties, a spokesman for President Robert Mugabe was quoted as saying Sunday.

Mugabe and his opposition rivals, Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara, will attend a meeting Monday of the Southern African Development Community’s security troika in Swaziland to discuss their deadlocked power-sharing deal, the spokesman told the state-owned Sunday Mail newspaper.

“Delegations from the three parties will be called upon to clarify any issues. After this the troika will guide us on the way forward,” Patrick Chinamasa, spokesman for Mugabe’s negotiating team, was quoted as saying.

“They can’t impose anything on us especially on such a small matter as the allocation of ministries.”

The allocation of key ministries in the formation of a unity government has remained a sticking point for over a month after the agreement was signed.

The deadlock has seen the troubled country turn to its neighbours for assistance.

Chinamasa said “all the principals and their negotiating teams are going” to Monday’s meeting.

“The facilitator will make a report to the (SADC) organ (on politics, defence and security) and we are expected to be around,” he said.

Former South African president Thabo Mbeki is the mediator in the negotiations between the rivals which have stalled over the allocation of the defence, home affairs, finance and local government ministries.

Tsvangirai, Mugabe and Mutambara, leader of a breakaway faction of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), signed an agreement on September 15 aimed at forming a power-sharing government.

That government was expected to ease political tensions and tackle the country’s economic crisis which has not shown any signs of abating, with annual inflation officially at 231 million percent.

(Source)

Zimbabwe’s opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai said Saturday he was still determined to reach a power-sharing deal with President Robert Mugabe despite the breakdown of talks between the two leaders.

Four days of negotiations ended Friday without producing an agreement on the allocation of Cabinet posts in a unity government.

“Our objective is to bring this government, Mugabe in particular, to the negotiating table … shouting and screaming but coming to the negotiating table,” Tsvangirai told thousands of supporters at a rally in the second city of Bulawayo.

The collapse of the talks is a disappointing setback that is likely to worsen the country’s economic and humanitarian woes.

“The biggest challenge we have is what has been left in this country. There is nothing. Zero,” Tsvangirai said.

Talks were mediated by former South African President Thabo Mbeki who brokered a Sept. 15 deal between Mugabe and Tsvangirai after the opposition narrowly won March parliamentary elections

The leaders have called for intervention from regional and African leaders. They will attend a meeting of the Southern African Development Community to be held in Swaziland on Monday.

(Source)