Maravi

Sanctions on Zim are threatening inclusive govt, says Charamba

Sanctions on Zim are threatening inclusive govt, says Charamba
Written by Kingsley Kaswende in Harare, Zimbabwe
Friday, September 04, 2009 5:10:52 PM

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe's spokesperson George Charamba has said the single biggest issue threatening the inclusive government is the illegal sanctions that continue to be slapped on Zimbabwe. Charamba told state media on Wednesday that the so-called "outstanding issues" that Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai kept on raising as potential threats to the unity government were nonentities.

"The sanctions have had a devastating impact not only on the generality of the people of Zimbabwe and economic turnaround efforts, but also on harmony within the inclusive government. This is the single largest threat to the fulfilment of the GPA [Global Political Agreement]," he said.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Tsvangirai told journalists that his party could pull out of the inclusive government if it does not work.

As before, Prime Minister Tsvangirai said his party was disappointed with ZANU-PF for not fully obliging to the requirements of the GPA.

He cited issues pertaining to the so-called arbitrary appointment of the central bank governor and the Attorney General by President Mugabe and the delays by the president to swear in Roy Bennet whom Prime Minister Tsvangirai has nominated for the position of agriculture deputy minister among other issues.

Prime Minister Tsvangirai feels his party should have been consulted before the two appointments were made and that Bennet, who is still facing criminal charges for his part in an orchestrated move to militarily topple President Mugabe two years ago, must be sworn in.

But Charamba said these were only bogey issues that MDC employed in covering up for its failures to yield to ZANU-PF demands.

"This is a bogey issue that MDC-T whips out of its deep pockets each time they are confronted with any demand from ZANU-PF. Tsvangirai was not in government when these appointments were made," Charamba argued.

"The President had no obligation to consult him. Is it being suggested that Zimbabwe should have proceeded for all those months that MDC was dithering on inclusivity without a central monetary authority and an Attorney General? Financial transactions are taking place every day with or without a prime minister. Criminals are committing crimes every day with or without an inclusive government. Trying to imagine a Zimbabwe without these two officials for just one hour, let alone eight months, is inconceivable."

Charamba said President Mugabe had made it clear that Bennett's swearing in would only take place if he were cleared of the criminal charges he is facing.

"He decided to be a fugitive from justice when he skipped the border and went to South Africa and President Mugabe cannot consequently just swear him in. Tsvangirai knows that the President cannot budge on this one," he said.

Charamba said President Mugabe would draw the attention of next week's 29th Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit to the persistent sanctions against Zimbabwe.

Labels: GEORGE CHARAMBA, NATIONAL UNITY GOVERNMENT, SANCTIONS, ZDERA

posted by MrK @ 4:13 PM