Maravi

SA sees progress in Zimbabwe talks

SA sees progress in Zimbabwe talks
Ralph Mutema
Wed, 06 Jan 2010 12:55:00 +0000

ZIMBABWE'S main political parties have made progress in resolving outstanding issues of the power-sharing deal, although the pace of negotiations is somewhat slow, a South African official mediating in the talks said on Tuesday.

President Robert Mugabe and former opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) leader Morgan Tsvangirai, now prime minister, formed an inclusive Government last year in February 2008.

Lindiwe Zulu, international relations advisor to South African President Jacob Zuma, said while South Africa was not happy with the pace of talks, there was progress on some major issues.

"I don't think that we should be talking of escalating conflict at this point in time.

"We are not saying that we are happy with the speed at which they are working but we think there are a number of things they've agreed upon," Zulu told South African Talk Radio 702.

South Africa is mediating in the Zimbabwe negotiations and Zimbabwean media reports say Africa's biggest economy hopes all outstanding issues resolved before it hosts the soccer World Cup in June.

Tsvangirai's MDC-T in October "disengaged" from Cabinet meetings with President Mugabe's Zanu PF party, accusing it of being an "unreliable partner" but rejoined after mediation by the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) and after that strategy failed.

PM Tsvangirai wants the appointment of provincial governors and the swearing in of Tsvangirai ally and convicted criminal Roy Bennett as deputy agriculture minister.

President Mugabe has also refused to sack the central bank governor and attorney general as requested by Tsvangirai saying their appointment was constitutional and is the prerogative of the president.

President Mugabe says the MDC-T should call off Western sanctions against Zimbabwe and his party and ask its backers in the West to shut down pirate radio stations broadcasting hate messages into Zimbabwe from the United States and Britain.

Labels: GLOBAL POLITICAL AGREEMENT, LINDIWE ZULU

posted by MrK @ 4:14 PM