Mugabe Set for Gruelling Encouter at Summit

Financial Gazette (Harare)

Njabulo Ncube And Levi Mukarati

10 June 2011

ZANU-PF is expected to maintain its hard-line stance at the extraordinary summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in South Africa on Saturday as tension between parties in the shaky inclusive government intensifies ahead of the make-or-break meeting.

ZANU-PF officials told The Financial Gazette that the party had no reason to shift its course, setting the stage for a grueling encounter with South African President Jacob Zuma, the SADC-appointed mediator in the Harare crisis.

Diplomatic sources claimed there was tension within the regional grouping ahead of the summit with some SADC leaders expressing weariness over Zimbabwe’s nagging political squabbling, while others appeared to be divided over the issue.

President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s formation of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) have both lobbied heavily in and around the region as they seek support from regional leaders.

Sources said the situation has been complicated by accusations and counter-accusations over the escalation of political violence in the wake of the killing of a policeman and the alleged bombing of the house of Finance Minister Tendai Biti, the MDC-T’s chief negotiator.

It also emerged on Tuesday that President Mugabe, Prime Minister Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara were expected to hold a principals’ meeting possibly on Friday in Johannesburg before the extraordinary summit, as a last ditch attempt to narrow their sharp differences before the crucial indaba opens.

But ZANU-PF spokesperson, Rugare Gumbo, told The Financial Gazette on Tuesday that there was no reason for the party to change its official position stated in its position paper on elections.

He said the party intended countering alleged misinformation by Prime Minister Tsvangirai and his party at the last summit held in Livingstone, Zambia in March.

“There will be no shift of our course whatsoever. We do not see any need to shift because our position is clear and we will not review it,” said Gumbo.

In its position paper widely circulated at the last SADC summit held in Windhoek, Namibia, in May, ZANU-PF stated that it wanted elections held this year with or without a new constitution to bring to an end the shaky inclusive government.

It blamed the MDC-T for delaying the constitution-making process. The party blames delays in coming up with a new constitution on the donor community and the Ministry of Finance, which is under the control of the MDC-T.

It further stated that the Global Political Agreement (GPA) rem-ained the only election road-map, adding that it was totally against the idea of a new election roadmap “as it means re-negotiating the GPA instead of implementing it.”

The party also expects the Johannesburg summit to review the position taken by the Troika meeting held in Livingstone and facilitate the implementation of the GPA, particularly the holding of elections.

ZANU-PF further stated in its position paper, which again will be distributed at the summit, that it was disturbed that the MDC formations were not lobbying the West to lift targeted sanctions.

It also stated categorically that “recent” intra-party violence bef-ore, during and after the MDC-T congress held in Bulawayo in April “proved beyond doubt that the said party was a violent organisation.”

“The only way forward is for the parties to the GPA to speedily conclude the constitution-making process and allow the people of Zimbabwe to proceed to a referendum and harmonised elections. The current delaying tactics employed by the MDC formations is a recipe for political and economic instability,” reads part of the ZANU-PF position paper.

At the Livingstone SADC troika meeting PM Tsvangirai successfully convinced the regional leaders that violence had resur-ged in Zimbabwe and there was need for security sector reforms, incencing ZANU-PF, which this week sent politburo members to Johannesburg on a lobby mission.

Gumbo acknowledged the principals and negotiators would meet before the summit but asked why ZANU-PF should shift its position “when we have genuine concerns.”

“No, we are not shifting our stance. SADC understands our explanation after what happened in Zambia,” said Gumbo.

The summit in Zambia ordered the three parties in the GPA to fully implement the 24 agreed issues, among them the rolling out of media reforms, end political violence, security sector reform, and appointment of provincial governors.

Three weeks ago the controversial Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) invited application for the establishment of two national commercial radio bro-adcasting stations but the MDC-T has dismissed the move as intended to hoodwink regional leaders ahead of the summit.

The party claimed that the BAZ board, chaired by Tafataona Mahoso, was unprocedurally constituted.

Ironically, Mahoso is part of the ZANU-PF lobby team at the SADC summit together with former information and publicity minister, Jonathan Moyo.

Following the death of Inspe-ctor Petros Mutedza last Sunday and the bombing of the house of MDC-T secretary general Tendai Biti, there are indications the two parties would use these violent incidents to canvas for support among regional leaders.

More than 20 supporters of the MDC-T have been arrested for the murder of Inspector Mutedza but as of Tuesday no one had been arrested over the bombing of Biti’s house.

The deputy spokesperson of the MDC led by Welshman Ncube, Kurauone Chihwayi, confirmed there would be a meeting of the principals and GPA negotiators. Ncube has been invited as the leader of his faction of the MDC while Deputy Prime Minister Mutambara would be attending as a principal.

“I know they will be meeting, but I am not sure about their agenda,” said Chihwayi.

The MDC deputy spokesperson hinted the parties were going to the summit still sharply divided.

“ZANU-PF says elections this year, we say elections next year, ZANU-PF says the GPA is enough for elections we say we want a full roadmap. ZANU-PF says violence is being perpetrated by MDC we say the opposite, so I do not see any tangible results from the summit. The parties will go there divided as usual,” he said.

Luke Tamborinyoka, the MDC-T spokesperson, said he was not aware of the pre-summit meeting.

“I have not heard about anything, I will cross check. All I know is that the principals met on Monday for their routine meetings,” said Tamborinyoka.

The summit will take place on the sidelines of the Free Trade Area summit involving SADC, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa and the East African Community.

SADC has demanded that the three parties in the inclusive government must present a unified report, but it seems a major showdown is inevitable.

Zimbabwe’s civil society, which again has made a bee-line to the summit, has organised a march and rally at Sandton Convention Centre in South Africa.

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