(TALKZIMBABWE) Tsvangira met Clinton secretly in S.Africa

COMMENT - Morgan Tsvangirai is always skating on this side of treason.

Tsvangira met Clinton secretly in S.Africa
Sun, 16 Aug 2009 03:59:00 +0000
PM Tsvangirai met with Hillary Clinton in June this year.

PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai met secretly with United States Secretary of State during his recent visit to South Africa and masked his trip as a state visit to brief that country's president and current Sadc chair on the progress made thus far by the inclusive Government. PM Tsvangirai visited South Africa last week and met with President Jacob Zuma.

Although PM Tsvangirai told the nation that he was in South Africa to brief President Zuma on the progress made by the inclusive Government, it is now understood that he met secretly with US Secretary of State, Mrs Hillary Rodham Clinton.

According to various reports, PM Tsvangirai's visit was not state sanctioned, and came at the same time as Clinton's visit to South Africa.

A report in the Sunday Mail says that top MDC-T officials travelled to South Africa and met in secret with Clinton's delegation.

PM Tsvangirai's meeting with Clinton was also in secret and the state was not aware that such a meeting was taking place and the PM did not disclose that he had indeed met with Clinton.

The two leaders last met in June on a state-sanctioned visit to the EU and US.

"The purpose of the meeting and details emerging from it are still unclear, raising suspicions within the Zanu-PF ranks," said a report in the weekly.

Zanu PF's politburo, the highest decision-making body outside of congress, met last Thursday and discussed the secret meeting of the PM. The politburo expressed concern and dismay at the PM's clandestine activities at a time when progress is being achieved in the inclusive Government.

The politburo also called on the MDC to condemn the illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by Britain, US and their allies in the West.

An agreement signed by Zanu PF and the two MDC formations called on the three parties to denounce the illegal sanctions; especially the notorious so-called Zimbabwe Democracy Recovery Act which barrs US companies from trading with "designated entities" in Zimbabwe. ZIDERA also stops Zimbabwe from accessing international credit lines.

Sources in the ruling party told the Zimbabwe Guardian that the MDC-T party has also been receiving money from the US and Britain to help in preparedness for the next election to be held next year. The inclusive Government is expected to last for 18 months.

"A Western ambassador is believed to have disbursed US$250 000 to a high-ranking MDC-T official to influence news organisations to push this agenda," read the Sunday Mail.

A source in Zanu PF told this reporter: "We are aware of many activities that are going on within the MDC-T ranks and will deal with them when the time comes.

"The president has indicated time and again that he is committed to the inclusive Government; but many MDC-T officials have been engaged in clandestine activities that threaten that government. We have intelligence on these activities."

The Zimbabwe Guardian also understands that the MDC-T has placed various individuals in various strategic places in government to influence policy outside of government planning.

Our source tells us that the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) is aware of many such activities taking place in the country; and are considering "ways to deal with the various issues."

Mrs Clinton wrapped up her 11-day tour of Africa with a brief stop in Cape Verde yesterday. She was on a seven-nation trip to the continent. The trip lasted 11 days.

Critics say there was little new in the way of policy from Clinton's visit.

There was no fresh initiatives on trade or aid and certainly nothing about the most controversial subject on America's agenda - its future military role in Africa.

Africom, the force that oversees US security interests on the continent, remains based in Germany and there was nothing said about possible plans for a military base on African soil. Plans to base it in Botswana was not received well by the Sadc leaders.