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(TALKZIMBABWE) Our govt is united: President Mugabe

Our govt is united: President Mugabe
By: Ralph Mutema
Posted: Sunday, March 7, 2010 3:33 pm

THE three principals to the Global Political Agreement have overcome their initial scepticism and mistrust of each other and have in the past six months drawn closer, President Mugabe has said.

At a meeting with editors of media houses operating in the country at Zimbabwe House on Thursday, President Mugabe dispelled oft-peddled claims of rifts in the inclusive Government and urged the nation to be as united as the principals are.

"The inclusive Government built in us that element of virtual trust in each other, and to work with each other. We belong to each other.

"We want to see that element run down. There is still friction at this level," he said.

President Mugabe recalled an incident during inter-party talks before the formation of the inclusive Government when MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai was nervous about sharing a meal with him.

"One day when we had concluded discussions at Rainbow (Towers) and we were with Mr Tsvangirai, he was not Prime Minister yet, and I said to him let’s have lunch together.

"He agreed and we sat down and I could see him hesitate. So I said don’t worry, you eat what I eat. Then he loosened up.

"Since then we meet on a weekly basis every Monday. We have tea together.

"There are no more doubts about each other’s honesty. The inclusive Government has built in us, within us, as we operate, that element of virtue, of trust."

President Mugabe said there was no need for people to be divided by political parties because at the end of the day they were all Zimbabweans who sang one national anthem.

He said the first days of the inclusive Government were difficult but over the last six months the parties have drawn closer in implementing policies and programmes.

"There are no cracks at all. There might be voices of discontent, some criticism, but that happens. It is expected.

"But we must promote unity as much as possible, promote the inclusive Government. We want to be a united people," he said.

President Mugabe added: "When we discuss issues we don’t seem to disagree much; for example on indigenisation, the policy of empowerment.

"We enunciated it a long time ago in line with the principle of sovereignty . . . it is the expression of our sovereignty.

"You get from the side of the MDC views that perhaps it could drive away investment.

"Some say it’s about how we will apply it that is important, others don’t want it at all. But no one is opposed to ownership of resources at all."

He said the GPA was fully operational and dismissed as politicking claims that the agreement had not been fully implemented.

President Mugabe said they had even gone beyond the GPA and were implementing measures that were not even contained in the agreement.

He said these "quiet" changes were in the foreign service and security officials.

The media, he noted, should do more to promote inclusivity and help build the nation.

He said he had received representations from the Prime Minister that he was not getting fair coverage in The Herald. "Be as objective as you can," the President said.

The inclusive Government set as its primary objective turning around the economy and had tried its best in doing so, President Mugabe said.

Labels: GLOBAL POLITICAL AGREEMENT, MUGABE

posted by MrK @ 10:01 AM