Maravi

(TALKZIMBABWE) Sadc urges shared control of home ministry

Sadc urges shared control of home ministry
Tendai Marumahoko
Mon, 10 Nov 2008 01:25:00 +0000

Supporters of President Mugabe protest outside the venue of the SADC meeting in Sandton November 9, 2008. SOUTHERN African Development Community (Sadc) leaders have endorsed a proposal by the ruling Zanu PF party to share the Ministry of Home Affairs on a rotational basis between the two main parties in the power-sharing agreement. This information was contained in the final communiqué of the 15-member regional body.

Sadc leaders deliberated for more than 12 hours on Sunday and resolved that the MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai should share control of the powerful Ministry of Home Affairs with President Robert Mugabe and that a unity government should be formed "forthwith".

The leaders added that the two leaders should now devote their time to solving the nation's economic crisis

The secretary-general of Sadc, Tomaz Salamao emerged after the talks and briefed journalists on the progress of the talks. "Summit decided that the inclusive government be formed forthwith [and] the ministry of home affairs be co-managed between Zanu-PF and MDC-Tsvangirai," he said.

He added: "Sadc was asked to rule and Sadc took a decision. That is the position of Sadc. It's up to the parties to implement."

"In due course the parties will learn to work together ... let's give them a chance," Salomao said. "Let's start with the inclusive government as a matter of urgency, meaning immediately."

Insiders in the summit say the MDC leader had argued that he won the March 29 elections, so he should be handed over control of the Ministry of Home Affairs to which President Mugabe responded by saying the election of March 29 was inconclusive and a runoff was necessary according to Zimbabwe’s electoral laws.

In his address to the Heads of States in attendance, President Mugabe said: “Our situation is not a domestic issue, it is a foreign issue. Home Affairs (ministry) is part of security and I as president have greater superintendence.”

Tsvangirai later addressed journalists gathered outside the summit and said the proposal endorsed by Sadc would not work. "This issue of co-sharing does not work. We have said so ourselves, we have rejected it, and that's the position," Tsvangirai told reporters.

"There is no agreement to co-sharing, to rotation, to swapping of ministries," he said.

Tsvangirai said his next step was to appeal to “progressive members of Sadc” for instance Botswana to intervene.

"Given this dangerous and precarious situation and the suffering of the people of Zimbabwe, we hope and pray that the guarantors of the agreement, in particular progressive members of Sadc and the African Union, will now move very quickly to try and salvage the agreement," Tsvangirai said.

One of these progressive members is a harsh critic of President Mugabe – President Ian Khama of Botswana. He did not attend the summit preferring to send a representative.

Zambia’s late President Mwanawasa was also considered progressive and was also a harsh critic of the Zimbabwean government. The new President on Zambia, Rupiah Banda did not attend the summit.

The chance of any meaningful change being effected by the “progressive members of Sadc” is slim. The Extra Ordinary summit in Johannesburg was the highest-level diplomatic intervention in the crisis to date and their resolution is unlikely to be swayed by any forces outside of the region.

The MDC leader warned of what he called “regional instability” if the ruling party “refused to loosen its illegitimate grip on power”.

President Mugabe left the summit without responding to questions by the media.

CONGO DISCUSSIONS

The summit also backed an immediate ceasefire in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where rebel fighting has displaced tens of thousands of people.
The leaders said in the final communiqué that they would "not stand by and witness any destructive acts of violence by any armed groups".

"The security situation in DRC is affecting peace and stability in the SADC and Great Lakes region," the group said, adding that it had agreed to send peacekeeping troops into the Congo if necessary.

South African President, Kgalema Motlanthe had earlier told the summit that there was "no military solution" to the problem.

Zim Guardian/Sources

Labels: NATIONAL UNITY GOVERNMENT, SADC, ZANU-PF

posted by MrK @ 5:07 PM