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(NEWZIMBABWE) Zuma set to meet Mugabe at fair

Zuma set to meet Mugabe at fair
by Lebo Nkatazo
20/08/2009 00:00:00

SOUTH African President Jacob Zuma is expected in Zimbabwe next week, but government officials say he will not use the trip to defuse growing tensions within the power sharing government.

After a meeting with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai two weeks ago, Zuma said he was keen to hold talks with President Robert Mugabe on the “few but very weighty issues” threatening the success of the coalition government.

Zuma will be a guest of honour at the Harare Agricultural Show that opens on Monday and runs through Saturday. He is expected to officially open the exhibition with a speech on Friday next week.

Mugabe’s press secretary George Charamba insists Zuma will not be raising the so-called “outstanding issues” which the MDC says it wants resolved urgently to smooth the working of the coalition government formed in February.

Charamba said: “President Zuma is coming here to officially open the Agricultural Show and not to resolve the MDC’s issues.”

The MDC wants to see the reversal of Mugabe’s re-appointment of the Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono and Attorney General Johannes Tomana without consultation.

The MDC also accuses the police of a selective application of the law and targeting its MPs.

On the other hand, Zanu PF has challenged the MDC to fulfil its side of the bargain by lobbying western countries to remove sanctions imposed on the country over the last decade.

Zuma told journalists after meeting Tsvangirai that “those issues, they don't seem to be the issues that cannot be resolved”.

Labels: JACOB ZUMA, MUGABE, NATIONAL UNITY GOVERNMENT

posted by MrK @ 4:47 PM