GPA Announcement Due this week
Harare — SOUTH African President Jacob Zuma’s facilitation team will return tomorrow following indications that the feuding parties in the unity government are making progress towards the resolution of outstanding issues in the Global Political Agreement (GPA).
Negotiators from Zanu PF and the two formations of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) have reportedly found common ground on media reforms and the appointment of provincial governors.
Sources said an “important” announcement was in the offing this week once the negotiators brief their principals President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara.
The negotiators were meeting the whole day yesterday and the sources said they were in agreement on a number of issues except on the position of President Robert Mugabe’s spokesman George Charamba.
MDC-T wants Charamba to be stopped from issuing divisive statements, which they say threaten the unity government.
This is one of a range of thorny disputes that have emerged since the formation of the unity government in February this year.
There were reports that Zuma was also preparing to visit Zimbabwe this week to nudge the parties to conclude their talks in line with a Southern African Development Community (Sadc) time frame but his international advisor Lindiwe Zulu dismissed the speculation as untrue.
Zulu, who along with Charles Nqakula and Mac Maharaj were recently appointed by Zuma to replace former President Thabo Mbeki’s facilitation team, said it was only the facilitators who were returning for a more comprehensive assessment of the negotiations.
“I do not know where the story of the president is coming from,” she said.
Meanwhile President Jacob Zuma’s facilitation team is due in Zimbabwe on Monday, it is the second visit to the country by the three facilitators in two weeks.Charles Nqakula, Lindiwe Zulu and Mac Maharaj met with Zimbabwe’s political leaders last week, but the talks were subject to a media blackout.
Information which was leaked suggests that the MDC and ZANU-PF have found common ground on media reforms and provincial governors.
The MDC is supposed to hold five of the 10 provincial governorships in the country.
But President Robert Mugabe’s allies have up until now been occupying all the posts.
Independent newspaper reports on Sunday said the parties could make an important statement this week. Mugabe however may hold out on major concessions ahead of the ZANU-PF congress that starts on Wednesday.
“The President appointed a facilitation team, and that team is going back to Zimbabwe to get a fuller report. We are coming over on Monday.”
Despite the list of outstanding issues reported to be growing longer, Zulu said from their preliminary visit a week ago, they were convinced there was progress.
“They are covering up the issues,” she said. “They have been doing the best that they can.
“We are comfortable with the fact they have been talking since we left. All those meetings have been successful.
“I don’t want to get into those issues (details of the outstanding issues and the expanding list), it’s their issues.
“Whether they are expanding or not, the most important thing is that they are meeting and making progress.”
Zulu said Zuma could not make an assessment of the progress so far.
“He cannot be making any assessment now because we are still to give him a report.
“I cannot say when that will happen, because before we even get the report, the negotiators will have to present it to their principals.
“We will also receive the full report after the negotiators have met their principals.”
She said progress should not be measured by the number of issues resolved so far, but through the commitment of all the parties.
“In our first visit, we came at a time when they had just started their meetings.
“The fact that they have been meeting since we left gives us confidence that they are making progress.”
“The problem is not just about outstanding issues; it is about dealing with the challenge that is currently in Zimbabwe.”
After receiving a report from the facilitators, Zuma will the consult Mozambican President Armando Guebuza, the chairman of the Sadc Organ on Politics, Defence and Security on the way forward.
The Standard
Posted by Sakhile Malaba
on December 6, 2009. Filed under Main Headline.
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