PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe was on Friday forced to accept the January Sadc Summit Communiqué that eventually led to the formation of the coalition as a binding document, sources revealed yesterday.

The communiqué, which the veteran leader had all along refused to recognize arguing that it was not part of the Global Political Agreement (GPA), stipulates among other things that the appointments of the Reserve Bank Governor and the Attorney General would be dealt with by the inclusive government after its consummation. Section 7(vi) of the communiqué says: “the appointments of the Reserve Bank Governor and the Attorney General will be dealt with by the inclusive government after its formation”.

The sources said by acknowledging the January communiqué as binding, Mugabe had effectively agreed to review his position regarding the appointment of RBZ governor Gideon Gono and Attorney General Johannes Tomana.

The continued stay in office of Gono and Tomana is an “outstanding issue” that has caused serious friction in the coalition.

Mugabe had vowed not to replace Gono and Tomana saying the appointments were done “constitutionally”.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC-T a fortnight ago suspended co-operation with Zanu PF citing Mugabe’s refusal to recognise the communiqué.

Mugabe has also refused to share the posts of provincial governors, noting that those appointments were dependent on his benevolence. This was in contradiction of section 7(vii) of the communiqué, which states that “the negotiators of the parties shall meet immediately to consider the National Security Bill submitted by the MDC-T as well as the formula for the distribution of the Provincial Governors”.

Mugabe also refused to swear in Deputy Minister-designate Roy Bennett, who is currently battling what his party says are “trumped up” terrorism charges.

Sources told The Standard it became clear that Mugabe was the stumbling block after the Sadc foreign ministers’ review of the GPA on Friday.

Sources who attended the closed meetings said the ministers were “shocked” by the slow implementation and blatant disregard of the agreement, which led to the formation of the inclusive government.

“It became clear in the meetings that Zanu PF is the culprit. The visit clearly exposed Mugabe and Zanu PF as the stumbling block,” said one of the sources.

This forced Mugabe to make a major climb down from his position regarding the January Sadc Summit Communiqué.

In a statement the Sadc ministers on Friday said: “The parties agreed to attend to all outstanding issues arising from the implementation of the GPA and the Sadc Summit Communiqué of January 2009.”

The foreign ministers from Mozambique, Zambia and Swaziland – the three countries forming the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security – then recommended the holding of a regional summit to deal with the Zimbabwe political stalemate.

“We will be consulting on the summit. I cannot tell you when it will take place but, trust me, it will be soon, very soon, almost immediately,” said Mozambican foreign minister Oldemiro Baloi, who headed the three-member Sadc delegation.

The delegation met the negotiators before they paid a courtesy call on Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara during the two-day visit between Thursday and Friday.

The visit followed Tsvangirai’s regional tour to drum up support following his party’s disengagement from Zanu PF in the inclusive government citing Mugabe’s reluctance to address “outstanding issues”.

The MDC-T has since added Presidential spokesperson George Charamba to its list of “outstanding issues”, saying he was communicating “hatred and causing discord” on the GPA implementation as well as rising cases of violence against its supporters.

Meanwhile, Tsvangirai’s spokesperson James Maridadi said the MDC-T was happy with the outcome of the meeting because the regional ministers managed to impress upon Mugabe that the January communiqué was as binding as the GPA.

University of Zimbabwe political scientist John Makumbe said the Sadc visit exposed Mugabe because he had been refusing to recognise communiqué.

“Mugabe has been exposed. It has become clear that Mugabe is refusing to comply with the Sadc communiqué,” Makumbe said.

He said the 85-year-old leader risks losing the support from his colleagues from the region if he continues to flout the agreement.

Yesterday Mugabe appeared conciliatory when he addressed mourners at the burial of Shamva-Bindura Senator Misheck Chando.

Although he struck his familiar chord on Western interference, Mugabe called for more dialogue with his estranged coalition partners.

“They (western countries) want us to go down on our knees and beg them to forgive us. We ask who they are?” he said.

“When you have as party, even as individuals, taken a stand that you shall work together with our political neighbours, and they have reciprocated at the same terms, then the requirement is that we continue step by step together,” Mugabe said.

The conciliatory tone was in sharp contrast to his address to the Zanu PF Central Committee where he said the MDC-T’s disengagement will not affect the operations of the inclusive government.

Sources said Mugabe was trying to placate party supporters who had called for Zanu PF to ditch the unity government. Zanu PF insiders said Zimbabwe’s long time ruler realised the coalition was “his only salvation”.
Baloi said Mugabe and Tsvangirai will meet tomorrow to discuss the “outstanding issues”.

After presenting his speech at the Heroes’ Acre yesterday, Mugabe held a brief discussion with Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara who attended Chando’s burial.

Written BY: CAIPHAS CHIMHETE AND VUSUMUZI SIFILE. The Standard