Mbeki Expected as GNU Crisis Deepens

LEADERS of the three parties that signed the Global Political Agreement (GPA) have asked former South African President, Thabo Mbeki to help in interpreting the agreement’s terms regarding President Robert Mugabe’s powers, sources have said.

The sources said Mbeki is expected in the country this week if Mugabe and the two MDC leaders, Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara, fail to agree to resolve outstanding issues during tomorrow’s crisis meeting.

Mbeki was appointed Zimbabwe mediator by the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) in March last year. If he fails, other negotiators may have to come in to solve the impasse, sources said.

Mugabe declared during last week’s crisis meeting aimed at resolving outstanding issues that he had powers to make independent decisions without consulting Prime Minister Tsvangirai and his deputy Mutambara — the other principals to the GPA.

The meeting had been called to iron out issues of governors, permanent secretaries, diplomats, the fate of Attorney-General Johannes Tomana, central bank governor Gideon Gono and continued farms invasions that threaten to tear apart the inclusive government.

The MDC formations want Gono and Tomana relieved of their duties because they are seen as partisan and unashamedly pro-Mugabe.

Sources said the principals also discussed the contentious issue of Information Communication Technology Minister Nelson Chamisa who threatened to resign after Mugabe stripped his ministry of the telecommunications department.

Mugabe removed the telecommunications department from Chamisa and put it under the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, headed by his loyalist Nicholas Goche. He did not consult Tsvangirai and Mutambara.

“They resolved to recall Mr Mbeki if they fail to agree again. It has however become apparent they are not going to agree on most of the outstanding issues. In the meeting, Mugabe insisted that he had powers to make independent decisions without consulting anyone,” said one of the sources.

The meeting, held on Thursday, was attended by Mugabe, Tsvangirai, Mutambara, Vice-Presidents Joice Mujuru and Joseph Msika as well as Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe.

The Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Gorden Moyo confirmed the meeting but could not confirm or deny Mbeki’s impending arrival.

“I am not aware that they have called Mr Mbeki,” Moyo said. “I know the meetings are going on next week. It’s a process and the meetings are going on.”

Tsvangirai’s spokesperson James Maridadi said: “I cannot confirm or deny that he is coming. But what I know is the principals are meeting next week.”

Mutambara said he could not discuss Cabinet matters with journalists. “These are Cabinet issues and cannot be discussed with journalists.”

Efforts to get a comment from Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, a negotiator in the Sadc-brokered deal, were fruitless yesterday.

In Thursday’s heated meeting, sources said, the 85-year-old Mugabe also told Tsvangirai that he was number four in the hierarchical structure with Mujuru and Msika taking second and third positions respectively.

“He (Tsvangirai) was infuriated,” said on of the sources. “He thinks as Prime Minister he is second.”The MDC website lists Tsvangirai as second in command after Mugabe in the transitional Cabinet. Mujuru and Msika come after Tsvangirai.

The sources said Mugabe refused to restore to Chamisa the telecommunications department insisting that as the President he had the powers to make such decisions without consulting anyone.

At the meeting, the sources said, Mugabe also refused to shift on the issue of the appointments of Tomana and Gono, despite Tsvangirai and Mutambara’s insistence that that the appointments were irregular.

On the issue of provincial governors, Mugabe is said to have insisted that they stay for a year because he appointed them before the formation of the inclusive government.

On the issue of Roy Bennett, the MDC Deputy Minister of Agriculture- designate, the sources said, Mugabe vowed that he would not swear him in “because he has a serious case to answer”.

“He banged the desk saying he will not swear him in. He told them to appeal to Sadc if they were not satisfied,” said one of the sources.

The former Chimanimani legislator, who is on bail, is facing charges of possessing weapons for purposes of terrorism.

Source: www.thezimbabwestandard.com

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