President Robert Mugabe has been given one month to resolve the issues that resulted in a temporary breakdown in the unity government in Zimbabwe. In the meantime Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is returning to work.
Tsvangirai’s spokesperson James Maridadi said the MDC was hopeful that Mugabe would have addressed the outstanding issues within the 30 days.
“We are very hopeful,” said Maridadi adding that South African President Jacob Zuma would soon visit Zimbabwe to access progress towards fully compliance with GPA.
“In the event that Mugabe does not comply with GPA and Zuma’s mediation fails, it would mean the collapse of the government,” said Maridadi.
Among the outstanding issues are the appointment of provincial governors and Mugabe's unilateral re-appointment of Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono and Attorney General Johannes Tomana.
Mugabe has says that the appointments were done constitutionally.
The MDC has also claimed that its MPs and activists have been targeted for government persecution.
Tsvangirai disengaged with Zanu PF in the unity government following the renewed detention of the party’s treasurer Roy Bennett on terrorism charges, which the MDC said are trumped up.
The one month deadline given to President Robert Mugabe to resolve the outstanding issues of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) by the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is “unrealistic” as the political rivals were still poles apart, political analysts have warned.
They however said Mugabe was likely to relent on some “symbolic issues” but would stick to his guns on key matters that would affect Zanu PF’s strategic political interests.
Although this might hoodwink the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and African Union (AU) -- guarantors of the agreement -- it won’t lessen friction in the coalition.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai last week gave Mugabe one month to fully implement the outstanding issues of the GPA at a SADC summit in Mozambique.
"We have suspended our disengagement from the GPA with immediate effect and we will give President Robert Mugabe 30 days to implement the agreement on the pertinent issues we are concerned about," he said.
The MDC “disengaged” from the inclusive government citing Mugabe’s reluctance to address outstanding issues of the GPA signed in September last year.
Political analysts said the time frame given by the former opposition leader was “too short” and could further deepen the crisis when Zanu PF fails to meet the strict deadline.
It was unlikely that Mugabe would resolve the outstanding issues given the pressure he is getting from Zanu PF hardliners determined to keep the status quo, they said.
University of Zimbabwe political scientist Simon Badza said the 30-day time frame was “unrealistically ambitious” considering that the parties were currently “poles apart”.
“I don’t see much being achieved during the given time frame and that the two parties are poles apart,” he said.
Badza believes Mugabe would only agree to resolve “a few” of the issues that do not obstruct his strategic political interests. This, he said, would be done to hoodwink the guarantors of the political agreement into believing that there was movement towards resolution of the crisis.
“No key issues would be resolved. Only issues of little significance … issues that do not tamper with Zanu PF’s strategic interests would be solved,” said Badza. “Zanu PF hardliners would not agree to anything that would compromise their socio-economic and political interests.”
University of Zimbabwe political scientist Eldred Masunungure agrees, “Mugabe will relent of some symbolic issues and stick his guns on key issues.”
He said even if the Mugabe fails to meet the deadline, the inclusive government will not collapse because both parties have realized that they cannot do without the other.
Apart from Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, the Summit was attended by leaders of Mozambique, Swaziland and Zambia. Democratic Republic of Congo President and current SADC chairman Joseph Kabila, former South African President Thabo Mbeki and Zuma also attended the meeting.
By John Mokwetsi
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