Former South African President Thabo Mbeki has accused the MDC of being a spoiler obsessed with criticising President Robert Mugabe, in an ugly spat that has overshadowed fresh talks to rescue the country’s troubled power-sharing deal.
In a surprisingly bad-tempered letter, Mbeki – who is the regional SADC grouping’s mediator in the Zimbabwe crisis – told the Morgan Tsvangirai-led opposition MDC party to get on with the business of rebuilding Zimbabwe in a unity government with the ruling ZANU PF party.
The opposition party did not need to wait for approval from its “external supporters” to join the unity government Mbeki said, closely echoing claims by Mugabe that the MDC is a puppet of Britain and the West.
The letter said to have been written by Mbeki in reply to a letter by MDC secretary general Tendai Biti complaining about the ex-president’s impartiality as mediator confirms the bad blood known to exist between Tsvangirai and Mbeki.
However, its tone and thrust seems over the top coming from one in Mbeki’s position where as mediator he is expected to be impartial and moderate in his conduct.
“The MDC-T like the other Zimbabwe parties, must within an inclusive government, take responsibility for the future of Zimbabwe, rather than see its mission as being a militant critic of President Mugabe and ZANU PF,” Mbeki said in the letter.
He added: “All that is now required is that these leaders must remain true to their word. They must implement the Agreement they signed.
“In this regard they (MDC-T) have absolutely no need to refer to their external supporters for approval, whoever they might be, and however powerful they might seem, including any and all South African formations.
“Realistically, Zimbabwe will never share the same neighbourhood with the countries of Western Europe and North America which have benefited especially from the migration of skilled and professional Zimbabweans to the North.”
Mugabe has often labelled the MDC a puppet party of Western governments opposed to his leadership and says the opposition is being used by the West to undermine Zimbabwe’s sovereignty and sweep him from power. MDC denies the charges.
Biti, who is the opposition party’s chief representative to talks, was not immediately available for comment on the matter while Mbeki’s spokesman Mukoni Ratshitanga could also not be reached.
Negotiators from ZANU PF, MDC and a breakaway faction of the opposition led by Arthur Mutambara have since Tuesday been meeting with Mbeki to review a draft constitutional amendment Bill that would allow Mugabe to form a unity government outlined under a September 15 power-sharing agreement.
The power-sharing agreement has stalled as the Morgan Tsvangirai-led opposition MDC party and ZANU PF fight over control of key ministries, distribution of gubernatorial posts, ambassadorships and other top government posts.
Referring to Tsvangirai as “Sir and dear brother” Mbeki accused the opposition leader and his party of contemptuously repudiating serious decisions made by SADC heads of states and other regional leaders.
Mbeki wrote: “Because leaders in our region did not agree with you on some matter that served on the agenda of the SADC Extraordinary Summit Meeting, you have denounced them publicly as cowards.
“It may be that, for whatever reason, you consider our region and continent as being of little consequence to the future of Zimbabwe, believing that others further away, in Western Europe and North America, are of greater importance.”
SADC leaders at an emergency summit in Johannesburg on 9 November ruled that Zimbabwe’s rival political leaders form a power-sharing government “forthwith” to end a debilitating political stalemate gripping the country since Mugabe’s controversial re-election last June.
They also ruled that the MDC and ZANU PF co-manage the ministry of home affairs, in charge of the police and whose control had been an obstacle to the formation of a unity government.
But Tsvangirai – who wants the MDC to have sole control of home affairs that oversees the police after ZANU PF retained control of the army – rejected the ruling and accused SADC of siding with Mugabe.
Mbeki added: “All of us will find it strange and insulting that because we do not agree with you on a small matter, you choose to describe us in a manner that is most offensive in terms of African culture, and therefore our sense of dignity as Africans, across our borders.”
Mbeki said because of the delay in forming a new government, southern Africa and Zimbabwe’s neighbouring countries have an unavoidable obligation to carry much of the weight of the burden of the Zimbabwe crisis.
“You know that among other things, various countries of our region host large numbers of economic migrants from Zimbabwe, who impose particular burdens on our countries. None of our countries and governments has spoken publicly of this burden, fearful that we might incite xenophobia,” he said.
-ZimOnline
Mbeki, mbeki, No wonder why your head is too big, wakama*a pfungwa ukasiya madho*hi mumusoro. If really think, or rather know know that our democratically elected president His Excellency Morgan Tsvangirai is a western puppet, why are you sharing the same table with him? Mbeki usatinyadzisa, bvisa tsvina yawakazadza mumusoro and start reasoning like a grown up. If you really think mboko inonzi mugabe can rule the country, why sharing the powers na MT, let him rule tione. Right now, education sector yafa, health, justice iyo home affairs yacho matuzvi ani iwayo.
Gentlemen, zany pf yapererwa nemazano, iyo nyika inotongwa netuchembere makamboonepi zvakadaro, Mugabe kozvauine musha wani kwakutama, enda unofira kure nesu pliz…
Morga, you are our hero, a real leader, godly annointed uri murume pane amwe ane mabhora esimbi…
Kana musina basa ne MDC-T chitongai tione.
MDC-T, hate it or love it, vanhu vane mazirudo nayo, thats the ruling party…hahaha, scarface tuchen*e twakasvava
On a serious note, i think we have learnt that Sadc as a whole has no intention of allowing Tsvangirayi to his lion of share. Neither will the AU. Henceforth , it is imperative for the Mdc to end this tragedy by joining the GNU as their chances of ever being recognised as a party at all will be wiped . Catastrophically, Zanu Pf’s strategies saturated by violance and disease in the past months have tr****ed a linear death toll around the country . Personally, i think Zanu pf does not consider people at heart. As a result, the Mdc as a first time renagade party against Zanu since independence have proven their competitive grounds after March elections. Zanu pf has never been contested and defeated to such levels since independence . They know know who is on top of the foodchain . And at the same time the important factor is to sign the deal and derail these Zanoids from withiin . Otherwise, a straightfoward negotiation is unfruitful. Zanu haisi kuenda chinhu varume.
Any fool from the streets can advise you that Zanu is not moving an inch . Sanctions can come in their mountan moving titanic forms . But these men are proving difficult to dilute . The Mdc are going nowhere .
Hoo freedom of expression is only reserved for those who denigrate Mugabe only nhai Sabhawa. Asi wanyora gwaro uri mubhawa kani. Like I said before you start trouble and it consumes you and then you cry foul. Taurai issues of substance without name calling ndizvo zvinobatsira nyika.
Can anyone tell me what relly the ZANU rule has achieved for the country? Something that is a success. I may be a little out touch with is happening in our beautiful country
mese hapana zvamukutaurwa. why cant u jus keep your comments to urselves
Zimbabwe is relying on South Africa and China far too much.What Zimbabwe and South Africa don’t reallize is that most of their exports go to China.The Chinese are now in a difficult situation because the majority of their exports go to the west.The west are now cancelling all their orders from China because no one is buying at the moment.China has no choice but to stop importing from Africa and this is going to cause mass unemployment in South Africa.Already BMW has decided to stop the purchase of the BMW 3 series.The BMW 3 series is only produced in South Africa and nowhere else in the world.This is going to have a huge impact on South Africa.People like Scarface and zanu are happy to see a recession in the west but are too stupid to realize that in the end it will be Africa that gets hit the hardest.Be prepaired to see mass unemployment in South Africa in the near future.It is coming.
Aiwa imi woye, zviri nane kuve Western puppet than to be an African puppet. Isu tayaura veduwe takangomirira African solution by Africans.
Zanu has managed to get a head like yours into school for a starters hater. From there we expect you to be able to look after yourself and not expect crumbs from the West. If you failed to go to school then we put you in the same bracket as your leader who turned his back on school. Kukundwa naChiwenga akgradueta nhezuro kuOpen University.
vamwe vanhu pano munongo sasa zvamaka feedwa.
Anofungao kwazvokwazvo ndiani?
vabvumirana toda kuona kuti muchatii,sekuru vanongotonga kusvika madhongi amera nyanga
Ngatishandirei kuvaka Zim yedu.
Chimwe chinhu nd**** kuti Zim inotoda vanhu vayo kuti vadade nayo.
Vamwe vari kunakirwa neku reporta kurowha kwambuya vangu but kana vadaro vanoenda kumba kwavo and they dont loose sleep. Its just a job to them. Tika gadzirisana hauva one vachiti heee chi chii. Instead vanenge vave kuti investment kuti vameke mari nemi.
SAKA ZVINO IWE URI KUITEI KUZVI GADZIRIRAO NYIKA YAKO????
IT WILL ONLY TAKE YOU SHASHA.
reality news.com reality news.com news sezvazviri-no fiction.
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On November 19, MDC-Tsvangirai secretary general Tendai Biti wrote to former South African President Thabo Mbeki — the mediator in the Zimbabwe effort to set up a power sharing government — saying his party would not participate in further talks because that would be legitimising a SADC resolution calling on the Zimbabwe parties to form a Cabinet forthwith, and advising that President Mugabe and Tsvangirai must share the disputed Home Affairs Ministry in a new power sharing government. This is a copy of that letter, and Mbeki’s reply is available HERE:
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Posted to the web: 28/11/2008 10:51:12
19 November 2008
THE FACILITAROR TO THE ZIMBABWE DIALOGUE
Mr THABO MBEKI
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
Dear Sir,
RE: CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT NO. 19
Given the fact that the SADC resolution is a nullity and has not been rescinded, it is then difficult for any of the parties to move in any direction for fear of legitimising the SADC Summit “ruling”. It means then that the negotiators cannot meet and work on the draft of Constitutional Amendment No 19.
There is a total meltdown in Zimbabwe and indeed a complete collapse of the state. Put simply, the state has lost any capacity to provide the basic amenities to the people in the form of food, education, health, transport. This situation, if left unresolved, will explode or implode and indeed such explosion or implosion will have a contagious multiplier effect in the region.
In addition to the meltdown, there are vicious attacks on the members of the MDC contrary to the dictates and spirit of the MOU and the GPA. There is a renewed wave of violence, abductions and assaults against the MDC and the people of Zimbabwe in the obvious direction of replicating the post 29 March barbaric violence, in particular the arrest and continued detention at unknown centres of MDC Mashonaland West senior leadership such as Concilia Chinanvanana and 11 others.
Furthermore, the Zanu PF regime is crafting an assassination plot, code-named Operation Ngatipedzenavo (Let Us Finish Them) intended to eliminate the MDC leadership and decimate the party through frivolous allegations.
There are flimsy attempts to frame the MDC as a terrorist organisation that is training people for the purposes of banditry and insurgence. There are people that are being used to frame confessions and militias are being trained by Zanu PF to act as MDC bandits in an attempt to delegitimise the MDC.
We look forward to hearing from you on the way forward.
Tendai Biti, MP
MDC Secretary General
Mbeki said-the following: no need to guess -just read it sezvazviri from reality news part of the scarface network. i hope you have time because it is long and you may need some form of education to understand it too. morgan is excused because he missed out on education.shame!!! now get reading!!!!!!
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A letter by former South African President Thabo Mbeki to Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of a faction of Zimbabwe’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), in response to a letter from the party’s secretary general Tendai Biti, a copy of which is available HERE:
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Posted to the web: 28/11/2008 10:51:12
November 22, 2008
Dear Sir Morgan
Today I received the letter dated 19 November 2008, which was correctly communicated through the South African Embassy in Harare, written to me by your secretary general, the Hon Tendai Biti, MP, concerning Constitutional Amendment No 19.
I must confess that the contents of this letter came to me as a complete surprise, causing me grave concern.
As you know, Mr Biti’s letter describes the decisions on Zimbabwe, taken by the November 9 SADC Extraordinary Summit Meeting held in South Africa, as “a nullity”.
The letter goes further to say that “it is then difficult for any of the parties to move in any direction for fear of legitimising the SADC Summit ‘ruling’”.
The first point I would like to make with regard to the foregoing is that, as you know, we were appointed as facilitator of the Zimbabwe Dialogue by the SADC.
This position was later endorsed by both the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN), both of which expressly rely on SADC to facilitate the Zimbabwe Dialogue, and thus contribute to the resolution of the Zimbabwe problem.
You will, therefore, understand that it is absolutely impossible for us as the SADC-appointed facilitator contemptuously to dismiss solemn decisions of an SADC Summit Meeting as “a nullity”.
Indeed, and necessarily, all such decisions serve as a binding mandate on the facilitator.
The second point I would like to make is that contrary to what the Hon Tendai Biti says in his letter, the three Zimbabwe negotiating parties, including yours, and with the support of the facilitation, have agreed that they should meet with the facilitation to consider the Draft Constitutional Amendment No 19.
The facilitation had proposed that this meeting should take place in South Africa on November 19 and 20, with the intention to finalise this draft during this interaction.
Both Zanu PF and the MDC (M) agreed to this proposal. However the meeting did not take place, essentially because of the reportedly unavoidable unavailability of your secretary general, the Hon Tendai Biti, who is one of your negotiators.
Subsequently, your negotiators suggested that the meeting should be rescheduled to take place in South Africa on November 25.
The facilitation canvassed this proposal with the other Zimbabwe negotiating parties and secured their agreement.
Accordingly, as of now, we expect that the meeting to consider the Draft Constitutional Amendment No 19 will be held on November 25, as your negotiators proposed.
As you know, on November 17, the facilitation received from the Hon Patrick Chinamasa the First Draft of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment No 19 Bill, 2008.
We immediately distributed this draft to all three Zimbabwe negotiating parties, preparatory to the meeting then scheduled to be held on November 19-20.
Subsequently, the facilitation was informed that the MDC (T) had prepared its own Draft Constitutional Amendment No 19.
The facilitation welcomed this initiative by the MDC (T), which was consistent with the manner in which the SADC-mandated Zimbabwe Dialogue has been conducted during a period of over 18 months.
By agreement, this has allowed that each and any of the Zimbabwe Negotiating Parties should be absolutely free to present their views during the dialogue process, without let or hindrance, which has happened.
I would therefore like to assure you that consistent with previous practice, the facilitation is ready to facilitate consideration of all Drafts of Constitutional Amendment No 19 in an even-handed manner, guided by what is contained in the signed Global Political Agreement.
(As has been agreed, we will take all necessary steps to ensure that Amendment No 19 includes the provisions contained in the agreement signed privately on September 11, which, for whatever reason, are absent from the agreement signed in public on September 15.)
Correctly, the Zimbabwe negotiating parties had agreed, without any SADC intervention, that some of their decisions, as reflected in the Global Political Agreement, would have to be legalised through constitutional amendments.
We are completely at a loss as to what the Hon Tendai Biti means when he writes that with regard to Constitutional Amendment No 19, “it is then difficult for any of the parties to move in any direction for fear of legitimising the SADC Summit ‘ruling’”.
When the SADC Summit Meeting called for the approval of Constitutional Amendment No 19, it did nothing more than to endorse a logical decision which the Zimbabwe negotiating parties had already concluded.
Neither the MDC (T), nor the other two Zimbabwe negotiating parties had expressed this (Biti) view to the facilitator, as we prepared for the November 19-20 and November 25 meetings, that the SADC approval of an existing decision of the Zimbabwe negotiating parties created a new problem.
And indeed, neither Zanu PF nor the MDC (M) has, to date, expressed any such view. To the best of our knowledge, they remain ready to participate in the November 25 meeting.
In addition, you will also remember that, in your presence, at the November 9 SADC Summit Meeting, both President Mugabe and Professor Mutambara informed the meeting that they accepted the SADC decisions, and committed their organisations to their full implementation.
The deputy treasurer general of the MDC (T), and one of your negotiators, the Hon Elton Mangoma, kindly conveyed to the facilitation the resolutions adopted by the 7th MDC National Council of 2008, which met in Harare on November 14, 2008.
In this regard, the facilitation took particular note of the resolution which stated that:
“3. Given the lack of sincerity and lack of paradigm shift on the part of Zanu PF, the MDC shall participate in a new government once Constitutional Amendment No 19 has been passed and effected into law.”
In this regard, the facilitation also took note of the November 14 report carried on the Kubatana Internet website, which said:
“(MDC (T) Vice President Thokozani) Khupe said: ‘Given the lack of sincerity and lack of paradigm shift on the part of Zanu PF, the MDC shall participate in a new government once Constitutional Amendment No 19 has been passed and effected into law.”
All this suggested to the Facilitation that the Zimbabwe Negotiating Parties should indeed proceed as speedily as possible to agree on Constitutional Amendment No 19.
The immediate foregoing is part of the reason why we find it immensely puzzling that even after the announced decisions of the 7th MDC National Council of 2008, your secretary general has now informed us that it is in fact impossible and impermissible to draft and enact Constitutional Amendment No 19 into law.
This is not the appropriate platform to discuss the intricacies of the Zimbabwe negotiations, in which you and ourselves have been involved for many years.
However, you know the circumstances which led the SADC Troika of the Organ on Politics and the SADC chairperson, and subsequently the November 9 SADC Extraordinary Summit Meeting, to focus on the matter of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
As the SADC executive secretary reported to the November 9 SADC Summit Meeting, when the SADC Troika of the Organ on Politics and the SADC chairperson met in Harare on October 27-28, they engaged the Zimbabwe negotiating parties, including yourself, in intense negotiations, deliberately without the participation of the facilitator.
The clear message communicated to the SADC Troika of the Organ on Politics and the SADC chairperson during these interactions was that the only obstacle to the formation of the Zimbabwe Inclusive Government, as agreed in the Global Political Agreement (GPA), was the finalisation of the dispute about the political leadership of the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the subsequent legalisation of the GPA through the enactment of Constitutional Amendment No 19.
You will remember your own insistence that in the context of the agreement that there should be two ministers of home affairs, these should serve in rotation, with the MDC (T) appointee taking the first slot.
You affirmed that if this were to be agreed, it would mark the conclusion of the negotiations about the distribution of the ministerial portfolios, and therefore enable the establishment of the Zimbabwe Inclusive Government, with your endorsement and support.
Because of this, basing themselves on what they learnt from the negotiations they conducted directly with the Zimbabwe negotiating parties, without the involvement of the Facilitation, the Troika of the SADC Organ on Politics and the SADC chairperson concluded that the most urgent and outstanding task relating to the formation of the Zimbabwe Inclusive Government was the resolution of matters relating to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
During the SADC meetings, the Troika of the Organ on Politics and the SADC chairperson emphasised that they recognise the fact that there are some outstanding matters that still need to be negotiated, and therefore asked that the facilitator should help ensure that this happens.
As we said earlier, for us as the facilitator, this constitutes a binding mandate which we must honour.
It is therefore factually incorrect that SADC has ignored various outstanding matters which you might have raised or which have served and serve on the agreed dialogue agenda.
In this regard, I would like to make one or two observations about the matter of “equity” with regard to the distribution of ministerial portfolios, which is mentioned in the resolutions of the 7th MDC National Council of 2008.
At your request, which was supported by the other two Zimbabwe negotiating parties, we prepared and submitted a document to you as the Zimbabwe principals, naturally including you, entitled “Reflections and Proposals of the Facilitation: Towards the Achievement of the Objectives of Equity and Power-sharing in the Constitution of the Inclusive Government: Harare, October 17 2008.”
All three Zimbabwe negotiating parties responded to this document in writing. Of the three, only the MDC (T) fundamentally disagreed with the observations of the facilitator.
As you know, the facilitator’s document did not constitute a “ruling”, as it could not. It was a response to a suggestion you yourself had made, and should have been subjected to a discussion among the Zimbabwe principals and the facilitator.
However, as was your right, you responded to the facilitator in two documents. This happened shortly before the Troika of the SADC Organ on Politics and the SADC chairperson were to meet in Swaziland.
In the light of this decision, the facilitation thought it proper that it should submit to the Swaziland meeting copies of these five documents – the facilitator’s “Reflections …” and the four responses, two from the MDC (T), – both to the SADC Troika of the Organ on Politics and the SADC chairperson, as well as the SADC Extraordinary Summit Meeting, which was done.
The facilitation has no reason to assume that these documents were not considered by the SADC structures.
We are, therefore, not aware of the basis of the statement made by the 7th MDC National Council of 2008 that SADC ignored the issue that MDC (T) had raised, relating to “equity” in the distribution of ministerial posts.
With regard to other outstanding matters, in your presence the SADC executive secretary reported that the SADC Troika of the Organ on Politics and the SADC chairperson agreed that these should not be forgotten or ignored, but should not hold up the formation of the Inclusive Government.
SADC directed that the facilitator should continue to focus on these matters, within the context that it set, which coincided with the approach of the facilitation.
It is perfectly clear to us as the facilitation that SADC is firmly of the view that the sooner the agreed Zimbabwe Inclusive Government is established, the better.
Our region considers this to be the most critical and urgent strategic task to implement, to move decisively towards the resolution of the challenges facing Zimbabwe.
As you know, the facilitation agrees with this view.
In this regard, you as the Zimbabwe principals agreed with the facilitator that senior officials of the Zimbabwe and South African governments should engage one another to address the issue of the provision of agricultural inputs that would help to ensure that during the current summer agricultural season, the people of Zimbabwe do everything possible to produce the food they need.
As you will recall, this decision was taken on the basis of an urgent request presented to the facilitator by the Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers’ Union (CFU).
Together we agreed with the CFU that the intervention to produce food should not be held back because of delays in the conclusion of an agreement among the politicians about the composition of the Zimbabwe Inclusive Government.
On the basis of this mandate, the relevant Zimbabwe and South African senior officials have indeed interacted with one another.
I have the assurance of the president of South Africa, HE Mr Kgalema Motlanthe, that the Government of South Africa is ready to honour its obligations in this regard, precisely because of its abiding concern about the welfare of the sister people of Zimbabwe.
I mention this particular issue, concerning the agricultural season that is upon us, to emphasise the point that all of you, the principal Zimbabwe Leaders, have consistently communicated to me your unqualified understanding of the reality that it was of strategic and urgent importance that the Zimbabwe Inclusive Government should be established without further delay, as the SADC Extraordinary Summit concurred.
In his November 19, 2008 letter, the Hon Tendai Biti, secretary general of MDC (T), raised various matters of grave concern to the MDC (T).
In particular he mentioned:
• a complete collapse of the Zimbabwe state;
• the absolute inability of the state to “provide the basic amenities to the people”;
• the threat of an “explosion” or “implosion” in Zimbabwe, which would “have a contagious multiplier effect in the region”;
• “a renewed wave of violence, abductions and assaults against the MDC and the people of Zimbabwe”;
• the “crafting (by Zanu PF) of ‘an assassination plot, code-named Operation Ngatipedzenavo (Let us Finish Them) intended to eliminate the MDC leadership and decimate the party through frivolous allegations;
• “flimsy attempts to frame the MDC as a terrorist organisation that is training people for the purposes of banditry and insurgence”; and,
•”people being used to frame confessions, and militias being trained by Zanu PF to act as MDC bandits in an attempt to delegitimise the MDC”.
Again, as you know, the letter from the Hon Tendai Biti ends with the appeal to the facilitator – “We look forward to hearing from you on the way forward.”
The above observations and allegations made by the Hon Tendai Biti are indeed extremely grave and demand immediate action.
The very firm and unequivocal view of the facilitation in this regard, which the Hon Biti requests, is that we must move with the greatest speed to establish the Inclusive Government, as provided for in the Global Political Agreement.
We must, as a matter of extreme urgency, establish the new Zimbabwe government, which will include the three parties represented in the democratically elected Zimbabwe parliament.
This government must operate according to the principles and procedures detailed in the Global Political Agreement, which both determines that RG Mugabe will be president, and that Morgan Tsvangirai will be prime minister, and specifies the roles of these leaders in the Inclusive Government.
The MDC (T), like the other Zimbabwe parties, must, within an Inclusive Government, take responsibility for the future of Zimbabwe, rather than see its mission as being a militant critic of President Mugabe and Zanu PF.
The signing of the Global Political Agreement has provided the possibility for the leaders of the people of Zimbabwe to govern Zimbabwe together, and together to solve the national problems, including the ones raised by the Hon Tendai Biti in his letter to me.
All that is now required is that these leaders must remain true to their word. They must implement the agreement they have signed.
In this regard, they have absolutely no need to refer to their external supporters for approval, however powerful they might seem, including any and all South African formations.
All that is required is that you, the leaders of the people of Zimbabwe, should do what you have committed yourselves to do, and that is all!
In the context of the observations made by the Hon Tendai Biti in his November 19 letter to the facilitator, Zimbabwe urgently needs precisely the agreed Inclusive Government, to:
# rebuild the state machinery of Zimbabwe;
# enable it to meet the needs of the people;
# overcome the current socio- economic crisis;
# end the threat of the explosion or implosion of Zimbabwe;
# end all manifestations of repression, intimidation and violence; and
# guarantee the democratic and human rights of all Zimbabweans, including their political and other formations.
The Hon Tendai Biti should not transfer the achievement of these tasks to the facilitator, SADC and the AU.
This responsibility belongs squarely to the people of Zimbabwe and their leaders.
The official signing of the Global Political Agreement in Harare on September 15 opened the way for you as Zimbabwe’s leaders, and the formations you represent, to act together not as political opponents, but as partners in pursuit of a shared and defined objective of the reconstruction and development of Zimbabwe, the reconciliation and unification of its people, and the entrenchment of democracy.
As you have agreed, in the first instance this must be expressed in the formation of the Zimbabwe Inclusive Government, which must work together as a cohesive formation, together as one, to address the priorities identified in the Global Political Agreement, in the manner prescribed in this agreement.
You and I know that objectively, Zimbabwe desperately needs the establishment of this Inclusive Government, and that this is the most urgent demand of the masses, the people who elected the three parties, including yours, which are represented in the Parliament of Zimbabwe.
Without in any way reflecting on their merits, which would require protracted investigations, the only and most rational way to address the challenges raised by the Hon Tendai Biti is to form the Zimbabwe Inclusive Government and table the matters at issue even at the very first meeting of the cabinet of the Inclusive Government.
We suggest, humbly, that given the fact of the Global Political Agreement, the MDC (T), and indeed the MDC (M), should no longer treat themselves as opposition parties or protest movements, and neither should Zanu PF consider and relate to them as such.
The agreement that has been reached and signed provides that Zimbabwe will and must have a ruling coalition of three co-operating parties.
Acting together, within the agreed framework, these will and must constitute the new “ruling party” of Zimbabwe, which must govern Zimbabwe as this “one” entity.
Contrary to all this, the Hon Tendai Biti asks that we should support the delay in the formation of the Zimbabwe Inclusive Government and help to sustain an untenable situation according to which, despite the agreed and signed Global Political Agreement, the signatories should continue to treat one another as opposed political formations engaged in a deadly fight, one against the other.
Where conflicts and problems continue to persist among the Zimbabwe political parties and the supporters of these, surely the framework has now been established for these to engage one another to address these conflicts and problems!
I am certain that the longer we postpone using this framework, relying on the luxury of a facilitator and other informal advisers, the longer we will perpetuate the terrible misery that afflicts the people of Zimbabwe.
As facilitator, a neighbour and an African, I am immensely proud of the extraordinary work you have done to develop the comprehensive consensus that now exists among yourselves as the leaders of the people of Zimbabwe, which provides the roadmap which defines what must be done to pull Zimbabwe out of the abyss.
What the people of Zimbabwe, our region and Africa now need is the sense of patriotism among yourselves as leaders of the people of Zimbabwe and as African patriots, which will inspire you, despite and beyond personal and partisan interests, to implement the agreements you have concluded.
In this regard, it may be that together, openly, and sooner rather than later, we must give an account to the masses of the people of Zimbabwe of what has been agreed during 18 months of negotiations, and what it is that holds up the united, national advance towards the alleviation of the problems of Zimbabwe, and therefore the speedy improvement of the quality of the lives of the people.
You know this, too, that the rest of Southern Africa, your neighbouring countries, has also had the unavoidable obligation to carry much of the weight of the burden of the Zimbabwe crisis, in many ways.
You know that, among other things, various countries of our region host large numbers of economic migrants from Zimbabwe, who impose particular burdens on our countries.
Loyal to the concept and practice of African solidarity, none of our countries and governments has spoken publicly of this burden, fearful that we might incite the xenophobia to which all of us are opposed.
Nevertheless, the leaders of the people of Zimbabwe, including you, dear brother, need to bear in mind that the pain your country bears is a pain that is transferred to the masses of our people, who face their own challenges of poverty, unemployment and underdevelopment.
This particular burden is not carried by the countries of Western Europe and North America, which have benefited especially from the migration of skilled and professional Zimbabweans to the north.
In the end, when all is said and done, Zimbabwe will have to exist in peace and productive collaboration with its neighbours in Southern Africa and the rest of Africa.
Realistically, Zimbabwe will never share the same neighbourhood with the countries of Western Europe and North America, and therefore secure its success on the basis of friendship with these, and contempt for the decisions of its immediate African neighbours.
I say this humbly to advise that it does not help Zimbabwe, nor will it help you as prime minister of Zimbabwe, that the MDC (T) contemptuously repudiates very serious decisions of our region, and therefore our continent, describing them as “a nullity”.
It may be that, for whatever reason, you consider our region and continent as being of little consequence to the future of Zimbabwe, believing that others further away, in Western Europe and North America, are of greater importance.
In this context I have been told that because leaders in our region did not agree with you on some matters that served on the agenda of the SADC Extraordinary Summit Meeting, you have denounced them publicly as “cowards”.
Such manner of proceeding might earn you prominent media headlines. However, I assure you that it will do nothing to solve the problems of Zimbabwe.
As you secure applause because of the insult against us that we are “cowards”, you will have to consider the reality that our peoples have accepted into their countries very large numbers of Zimbabwean brothers and sisters in a spirit of human solidarity, prepared to sustain the resultant obligations. None of our countries displayed characteristics of cowardice when they did this.
All of us will find it strange and insulting that because we do not agree with you on a small matter, you choose to describe us in a manner that is most offensive in terms of African culture, and therefore offend our sense of dignity as Africans, across our borders.
As facilitator I am more than convinced that we should hold the November 25 meeting as proposed by your negotiators, to agree on the text of Constitutional Amendment No 19, and the procedures for its approval.
The facilitation therefore confirms the arrangements that have been made for this critically important meeting.
Consistent with the principle agreed from the very beginning of the SADC-mandated negotiations, that no party to the negotiations has veto powers, the facilitation will engage any party that arrives to attend the November 25 meeting which your negotiators proposed, and which we convinced the other parties to accept.
As a matter of courtesy, as well as for their information and action, I would like to inform you that I will make available the November 19 letter of the Hon Tendai Biti to me, and this response to you, to:
• the other Zimbabwe negotiating parties;
• the chairperson and acting chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics etc;
• the chairperson of SADC;
• the chairperson of the AU;
• the chairperson of the AU Commission;
• the secretary general of the United Nations; and,
• the executive secretary of SADC.
Yours sincerely,
Thabo Mbeki
My news empire will be b**** than sky news- hahahahaha hahahahahaha i hope you enjoy my news coverage. I try to keep you well informed and straight to the fact.enjoy and god bless zimbabwe.I will prove to the world and the rest of Africa that morgan is a puppet and should not be allowed to succeed.Even mbeki can see that -its only those tswanas who are blind probably from too much bush hunting and a lack of education.**** those tswanas.bushmen.
now let me enjoy this live coverage of mumbai…hondo yakapenga wakomana.wafana awa wakato****-ndiyo inonzi ultimate courage zvedi.live gun fire.reminds me of the good old days .
Mbeki slams MDC leader
28 November 2008, 12:16
Related ArticlesMbeki and MDC’s explosive exchange
Zimbabwe still in limbo
Zim crisis deepens as MDC quits
Johannesburg – Former South African president Thabo Mbeki has accused Zimbabwe’s opposition of stonewalling power-sharing talks, in a scathing letter printed on Friday in local media.
The 4 000-word letter, printed in The Star newspaper, was written before the latest round of talks on a unity accord fell apart this week, with Tsvangirai demanding that Mbeki step down as the mediator in Zimbabwe’s political crisis.
Mbeki slammed Tsvangirai’s refusal to accept recommendations of regional leaders on forming a unity government with President Robert Mugabe, accusing him of seeking support from the West rather than from African neighbours.
Mbeki said Tsvangirai should “take responsibility for the future of Zimbabwe, rather than see its mission as being a militant critic of President Mugabe and Zanu-PF.”
Mbeki took particular issue with Tsvangirai’s remarks that southern African leaders “did not have the courage” to stand up to Mugabe at a summit in Johannesburg on November 9.
The summit had recommended that the two parties share control of the contested home affairs ministry, but Tsvangirai rejected the proposal.
“Because we do not agree with you on a small matter, you choose to describe us in a manner that is most offensive in terms of African culture, and therefore offend our sense of dignity as Africans,” Mbeki wrote.
“Such manner of proceeding might earn you prominent media headlines. However, I assure you that it will do nothing to solve the problems of Zimbabwe,” Mbeki said.
“It may be that, for whatever reason, you consider our region and continent as being of little consequence to the future of Zimbabwe, believing that others further away, in Western Europe and North America, are of greater importance,” he added.
Mbeki brokered the power-sharing deal signed on September 15, which calls for Mugabe remaining as president while Tsvangirai becomes prime minister.
Tsvangirai on Wednesday pulled out of the talks, saying no progress had been made and that Mbeki should recuse himself as mediator. -
muchasigner chete vafana….mdc my foot.slowly but surely you will sign without alarming your followers who are not happy that you signed this agreement.but never mind these followers are just dumb anyway.They will never challenge you morgan.Just do whatever you like .
Harare – Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s party and the opposition MDC have agreed on a draft constitutional amendment but still have several differences over a power-sharing government, the MDC said on Friday.
The amendment would allow a new government to be formed under a September power-sharing deal with MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai as prime minister. The agreement is widely seen as the best hope of saving Zimbabwe from economic collapse.
“We have reached an understanding, an agreement on the draft constitutional bill, pending consultations and endorsement by our different leadership organs,” MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa told Reuters.
He said talks in South Africa aimed at ending a deadlock in power-sharing negotiations had ended.
“The draft constitutional amendment bill is just one of a number of issues that have been on the table. These issues, including the sharing of some cabinet posts, the appointment of provincial governors and other senior government positions, have not been resolved,” Chamisa said.
“On our part, the MDC leadership will meet next week to discuss this, and give a direction as to how we are going
remember chamisa-yesterday—heeeeee we will not sign -heeee we will not do this and that….slowly but surely this is becoming embarassing to the mdc supporters.why make all thes statements and then go along with mbeki’s program last minute? Lack of courage and hoodwinking supporters by trying to be acting tough—no no no zanu pf does not shift easily and that is why and how they won the war.Those Lancaster house agreements were almost cancelled because they could not meet Bob’s requests..in the end they had to bow down .That is zanu pf-they fight to the end.
WINDHOEK (AFP) — A regional tribunal ruled Friday that 78 white Zimbabweans can keep their farms because the government’s land reform scheme discriminated against them, in a key test of the new court’s influence.
Judge Luis Mondlane, president of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) tribunal, said that Zimbabwe had violated the treaty governing the 15-nation regional bloc by trying to seize the white-owned farms.
The Zimbabwean government “is in breach of the SADC treaty with regards to discrimination,” Mondlane said.
Three of the 78 farmers have already been forced from their land, and the court ruled that Zimbabwe had also violated the treaty by failing to pay them fair compensation, he said.
The verdict is the first major ruling by the court since it first convened in April last year, and Zimbabwe did not immediately say if it would comply.
Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Namibia, Chipo Zindoga said the government did not yet have a formal response to the ruling, but warned the verdict could interfere in the country’s controversial land reforms.
Eight years ago Zimbabwe began seizing white-owned farms to resettle them with landless blacks, but the chaotic programme was plagued by deadly violence and some farms ended up in the hands of cronies of President Robert Mugabe.
“The resettled farmers will be perplexed and alarmed that this ruling will interfere with the land reform,” Zindoga said.
The group of white farmers was led by William Michael Campbell, who filed the case last December to seek court relief “from a continued onslaught of invasions and intimidation,” according to court papers.
The SADC tribunal was created as part of a peer review mechanism within the organisation. It aims to ensure the objectives of SADC’s founding treaty, including human rights and property rights, are upheld.
Mbeki’s world is in black and white thats why he was blocking ARVs to SA people. He thought HIV/AIDS was about racism. Saka this shows the kind of person Zimbabweans are dealing with. Im actually surprissed that MDC-T got this far agreeing to Mbeki as mediator. Its on record that Mbeki caused split in opposition because be also believes that Mugabe is fighting white in Zimbabwe. Asi handizivi kuti tine varungu vangani vari kwamurambinda, buhera etc kuri kubviswa vanhu maziso. hameno kuti varungu vangani mu Zimbabwe vakafa ne korera… Mbeki is snoozing in the 1900
I encourage people to read about Mbeki’s views on HIV/AIDS. Kana maverenga muchaona kuti Mbeki fungwa dzake ma one chaiwo. Iri degree raanaro rakamutorera wisdom. That man is not wise at all. Most South Afrucan dies of HIV/AIDS because Mbeki did not want them to get treatment. he did not even try to get it from South African medical doctors. That man is in his own world. Even his own father sumed it in a few words when Mbeki was elevated to presidence…. “Thabo is not ready for such high office” those were mdala Mbeki’s words. Mbeki anotoda kupariwa maziso kuti aone today’s world. Can you imagin that his argument on HIV were based on 1905 plague outbreak? Saka he is more than a century behind. Manje his lens akafanana nea Pahad. The other problem is that these man were never in the war fronth. Ask those of us we really fought and we will tell you that we fought for the betterment of our people.
Mbeki’s term of office was marred with mediations and none of them was a success because he imposses his view. tarisai DRC dzirikungorira nekuti vakati Mbeki. Mbeki has zero to do with SA economy. Akapiwa na Mandela iri right iye wakatoita kuti hupfumi huve kuvashoma. Look at his BEE pocilies….. worse than Mugabe’s policies.
ko scarface todii kudistributa maarticles ekuexpoza Wematama uyu. Ndine zifolder rinotori 10 Gig randakatanga kuchengeta muna2000 rezanu ne MDC. Mukati imomo mune rimwe rinonzi contradictions rekurakidza flip-flopping zvekuti dzimwe nguva laptop yangu inohenya pandinosevha faira dzaMorgan!!!!
Iwe Baba why is it kuti you guys want to listen to SADC when it suits you. Makaramba ruling yavo but now you want to listen to the tribunal. Our position also is that its their opinion. Minda takatora tsano. Haidzoki futi. Tell your backers that. Mukada kuita funny tinogadzirisa vachena ivavo pamapurazi. Ende hapana anopindira futi.
Comment # 19 – Amalume your are shallow
Why is it that MDC is a puppet because they accepted checks from white farmers? Are the farmers not Zimbabweans therefore Africans? Zanu PF had the patronage of these same pple until they changed their allegiances to MDC and so now that is unacceptible? The bottom line is Mugabe and Zanu do not want ANY opposition at all, period. With Zanu mortgaging all our natural resources to the Chinese doesn’t it make them puppets too? If China was not sucking us of all our riches, how come with all it’s US dollars in reserves, they have let Zimbabwe collapse to this extent? Wake up BOY!!
Abel. Who said we are listening to the SADC when it suits us. Just another one of your pieces of dreamt up propaganda.If zanu does not agree with this latest SADC ruling will they then also be classed as calling the SADC cowards as was suggested by mbeki towards MDC for not agreeing with SADC on their ruling of the home affairs. As you can see it is the Zimbabwes zanu government that has violated the SADC 15 nation treaty not the MDC.So if it is ok for zanu to dissagree with the SADC then surely it is also ok for MDC to dissagree with the SADC.
The objectives of the SADC founding treaty is to include the upholding of human rights and property rights. This is completely opposite to what zanu is doing.
Whats good for the goose is good for the gander.
When a ruling is against zanu pf everything is democratic and bbc will probably not even cover the story because it shows sadc in a good light.When news is positive they do not cover -only when its bad.They will not be interested in telling the world that a sadc tribunal has made a key decision like this but the painful thing is that they would want to tell the world that mugabe has lost a court case…politics kani.
So the white boys have won the fight for the land they stole from our mothers and fathers -we will take it one day at a time and see how we can deal with that situation.But we in zimbabwe also follow the rule of law so we will allow them to stay on these african farms for now until we reach our own conclusion.78 stolen farms is too much to give away.these mother ****ers owned half the country’s fertile land after stealing it from the locals.However people like baba are too foolish to understand that the real reason we went to war was not for shortage of food but to reclaim our land.Whether we work the land well or not is irrelevant for now..the british refused to compensate the farmers as agreed during the Lancaster agreement back in 1979-80.What was the gvt to do? sit back and relax until when?We do not have time to wait because change had to come.empowerement was coming.Yest there is poverty now but we are rich in the long run.we are well equipped to survive in the new zimbabwe.The battle goes on…
reality news. I take it that you are speaking on behalf of the Zimbabwe government when you say that you will accept that ruling by the SADC. Have you thought about all the other farmers whos land you stole who are now going to follow the same high courts in a country where the rule of law applies.
Judging by your current situation it looks like you went to war to become the poorest underfed starving idiots that the word has ever seen.
If you look up the lancaster house agreement you will see that the British government paid out all the compensation according to the agreement but made a big mistake in giving it to the Zimbabwe government who squandered all the funds for their own greed.It is up to the Zimbabwean government to pay out the compensation that was handed to them by the British government.
Where is your richness. Is it in your starving dying children. Wake up you idiot.
baba i ndo not know of any other farmers whos land we stole-not in zimbabwe .I know of wapambi wepfumi who forcibly took land from our elders and never paid a penny for it.They also discriminated against our elders and have never apologised. we had to go to war to get the land back.The british in 1980 promised after the Lancaster agreement to pay the colonialists for the land the gvt woud give back to our landless people whos land had been taken away by force.The british under tony blair in 1997 refused to honour that gentlemen’s agreement and we were left with no choie but to settle our people since that was the main objective of the war that tsvangirai avoided.So please baba dont tell me rubbish-like your leader you need to get some education on issues.Unless you are more educated than him or are you the same?
viva black empowerment !!!!
Mbeki is an idot. How dare he addresses Zimbabweans as western puppets. The Zimbabweans voted for Morgan Tsvangirayi and those are the very people Tsvangirayi is serving. Those are the people he is consulting. Those are the people that give him the mandate. I do not remember any Westerners actively involved in the March 2008 elections campaign. Why is Mbeki afraid to face the truth? Obviously he must be benefiting from Mugabe even after being dethroned. I feel it is time he was investigated. What a can of worms this would be for Mugabe and SADC.
Do we have a courageous investigative journalist out there who is prepared to take the bull by the horns? Hopefully we will get one before the independence of Zimbabwe. We might learn a lot. Sapotai Mugabe henyu asi chafa chafa chete, no matter what you do.
reality news. Good luck.If you had done your homework you would realize that you are barking up the wrong tree.
1980
The Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front party wins a majority of the seats in the House of Assembly. The new government is bound by the Lancaster House Agreement that protects white Zimbabweans from having their farms taken away for the first ten years of the country’s independence. Under the agreement, land distribution is to take place under “willing buyer, willing seller” terms, and the government is to “pay promptly adequate compensation” for property it does acquire. The U.K. gives Zimbabwe 44 million pounds to resettle the land.
1992
After the land protection clauses of the Lancaster House Agreement expire in 1990, the Land Acquisition Act is enacted, giving the government strengthened powers to acquire land for resettlement, subject to the payment of “fair” compensation fixed by a committee of six people using set, or nonmarket, guidelines, including powers to limit the size of farms and introduce a land tax,
Reality news (propaganda news ) Can you tell me which farmers were compensated with the 44 million pounds given to the Zimbabwe government by the British. As you can see the lancaster house agreement expired in 1990 and so according to the committee all compensation must now come from the Zimbabwe government.
So now that we know how thick you are can you please do some homework before you reply with more of your propaganda crap you uneducated fool.
Oh mr baba can you publish the letter that calir short wrote to kumbirai kangai in 1997 when lanour first came to power in Britain? Or do you want me to do it for you? This is a test of your honesty.
We do not have to pay these idiots a single penny for our land.They stole our land these mother ****ers.We will deal with them.
what makes me sick is this thing about he morgan chino he robert icho.a nation of 15m people waiting for 2 people to do something is totally disgraceful.imi muchiiteyi?cant even attend meetings to show solidarity.cant even heed calls for mass action.cant even see how hard life is.satisfied with living in a country where food is a luxury,where desease is a norm.satisfied kuti ah nhasi mvura iya yamboti dzikireyi zvishoma meaning raw sewage by your door step.wistle with pride if you manage to wrestle each other out of a queue.proud kuti ndine muface anondirongera chingwa.kunge muchatoisa muschool carricullum ways of sporting queues.rubish mhani.boasting that your niece works kubank so achanondiitira withdrawal.your own money.and worse still walking all the way to town to collect cash enough to only pay for kombi the following day.kutojaira nhamo to the point of arguing fearing zuva richanaka zvinhu.hamusvodi zvokwadi,
Thabo Mbeki’s reply to Biti’s letter is well written. Now I know the truth about what is going on. I used to hate Thabo thinking he was the problem on Zimbabwe negotiations. These guys are so rude Biti and Tsvangirai. They have never trusted the African nations anyway. Why dont they pull out and continue campaining for sanctions as he did in the early 2000. Dont worry Morgan the nation black people in Zim will soon be wiped out with cholera and HIV and you will soon be a President. Just give yourself a few months you will be in the State House. The white farmers will own their beautiful land again. There will be plenty of food to feed the whole executive of MDC-T, and alll resources to plunder.
It has been obvious for five or six years that Mbeki is working to keep Zanu in power. The MDC should have refused to deal with him from the beginning. Playing the game of being good Africans hasn’t done them or their supporters any good. If they had stood up and rejected the whole rotten system, they might have helped to weaken it just a little, across the continent as a whole. Nothing is going to change until people reject the kleptocracy, even if doing so doesn’t produce immediate and local results. The whole political culture of Africa needs to change, and that means people have to show that they reject the old ways.
Mbeki kanoti chiiko,looses club Manje manje Mugabe ari kutevera dont worry.
That unelected millitary creep running Botswana, Khama is another look-west retard. People are going to take direct action against the Botswana High Commission in London. Warmongers beware!