THE signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the ruling Zanu PF party and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party did not take place yesterday as expected putting the much anticipated political settlement in Zimbabwe in jeopardy.
Reports coming out of Harare say the MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai changed his mind at the last minute despite reassurances from his party’s negotiation team which had agreed on the content of the document together with the Zanu PF team.
Tsvangirai is said to have advised his team that he would not be signing the MoU under instruction from Jean Ping, African Union Commission Chairman.
This is the second time the MDC leader has backtracked on a previous party position citing instructions from Ping.
Two weeks ago Tsvangirai failed to show up for a meeting which President Mbeki had managed to arrange between the MDC leader and President Mugabe saying he had received instructions from Ping. The meeting had been convened at Tsvangirai’s request.
Last week representatives from Zanu PF, MDC-T and the MDC led by Professor Arthur Mutambara met in Pretoria and held talks which led to the drafting of the MoU. The understanding was that the MoU would be signed in Zimbabwe at the South African embassy yesterday. The content of the MoU was discussed and agreed by the three parties, according to sources.
Zanu PF was represented by the public service minister Nicholas Goche and Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa while MDC-T was represented by Tendai Biti and Elton Mangoma with Welshman Ncube and Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga representing the break-away formation of the MDC.
The Pretoria meeting, which was chaired by South African local government minister Sydney Mufamadi on behalf of President Mbeki had led to the drafting of the MoU and was agreed that Tsvangirai, President Mugabe and Mutambara would sign the MoU so that talks can begin.
Sources within the ruling party say Tsvangirai’s latest snub may have been triggered by the United States’ criticism of President Thabo Mbeki’s government over their vote at the UN Security Council blocking sanctions against Zimbabwe.
A US representative at the Security Council, speaking after the vote, suggested that President Mbeki was out of touch with his own country and that the time was right for him to go.
President Mbeki will meet with Jean Ping on Friday to brief him about progress that is being made or not being made in the mediation process.
The MDC has called on the mediation team to be expanded to include representatives from the African Union. South Africa dismissed speculation that the team will be expanded to meet the MDC’s demands.
South Africa’s deputy minister of foreign affairs, Aziz Pahad, indicated that the team was not being expanded and the meeting President Mbeki and the AU Commission Chairman is meant to bring the Chairman up to date with events.
“Mr Ping is not coming to South Africa in an emergency situation. It is quite important that the Chairperson of the Commission of the AU is regularly briefed about the process,” said Pahad.
He continued: “Our view has always been, and I am stressing it, we are being diverted by a fake argument about the expansion of the SADC Facilitation - the Facilitation is not South Africa only.
“South Africa is conducting the Facilitation on behalf of SADC and therefore involves the Organ Chair, who, through the processes by which we work, have to brief the Chair of SADC; the Chair of SADC has to brief the Chair of the AU who has to brief all other members including the Peace and Security Council.”
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READER OPINIONS
n/a • Mai@hotmail Subject: tsvangirai u are being used Sun, 20 Jul 2008 19:58:19 • Varume mabhunu are clever They are after divide and rulu.Ewo Dziwa cant you see that the Browns want to use you.Imbwa dzevanhu varungu.Manje imi save mave kuitawo se dununnu.Mheno zvenyu.Ko iye puing wenyu makamuzivirepi.Morgan use your common sense .Dont be driven like a wheel.
Cde Pasiparowa Nehandanyakasikana • sekurukaguvi@hotmail.com Subject: Pfungwa shoma dzinoparira Sat, 19 Jul 2008 05:16:05 • Its sad to know the likes of JOJO, SAMAS, cde MATOTO are still supporting an illigal government with inflation running away that fast, if you look at them they do not work basa rekuda kuponda vanhu vane zvinhu zvawo. Watever you say MDC is the peoples party deep down your hearts you know the truth. Bvunzai shefu wenyu who is demented, why did he convey a meeting in Zvimba after the first election?
Never argue with fools like jojo, matoto and samas people will not notice the difference. Muri masasikamu order chaiwo, vana vepfambi dzemazanu ministers
Benzi Mbeki • Mnodi@hotmail.com Subject: Role Of Mediator Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:51:08 • I went through a divorce a few years ago and can tell you the Mbeki has absolutely no qualities of one.
A mediator does not take sides as he has done.
A mediator must not have a history with one of the parties.
A mediator must be a neutral fresh person that has no preconceived idea and judgements.
A mediator in my opinion could be someone not from Africa as long they can listen to both sides and make recommendations that both sides can live with.
Tsvangirai is right to demand that all forms of violence end on both sides!!
Tsvangirayi is right to demand release of all political prisoners, except for those who have committed murder, and should apply to Zanu PF prisoners hahahah!!
Tsvangiray is right to demand that Mugabe not go in with the notion that he is president!!! Noone won!!!
Tsvangirai must stick to his guns or lack thereof.
Its now clear that Mugabe cannot govern so he needs Tsvangirai more than the other way around more than ever.
Mugabe won!! hahahah, rule then!!
N/A • n/a Subject: WISE UP BLACK PEOPLE. ITS LIKE A GAME OF CHESS. Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:12:17 • rise up africans its time to crack babylon code' which is divide and rule. even a blind man can see the intentions of the westen enemy . why is Chematama (M,T) accepting the prescription of Gordon Brown. idot business. UNITY FOR ALL AFRICANS IS THE ONLY WAY TO EXTEMINATE THE ENEMY.
Omuhle • n/a Subject: n/a Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:11:16 • Iwe unonzi Jojo usazvifurire kutiratidza hudofo hwako pazere vanhu kudai?
You say MDC is a prty represented by only 15% of the population? How naive - that was not even the number. If you assume that becoz ZANU PF got 85% then the rest supported MDC then you forget there were spoilt papers. You also forget that not the entire population voted. The turn out was less than 50% of the total voting population. You also forget that not all the country's population is on the voters rol. Some have been disenfranchised, others have left their registered areas and so cannot vote where they live. Some are too young to vote and others are too afradi to even so much as register. Besides, MDC's true poularity is better measured by the first round of elections. They have more seats in parliament than any other single party. That speaks volumes.
Coming back to your argument that people shouldn't pay attention to MDC you are betraying the very reason people are makig a fuss about this.
Firstly, it is admission that unlike in the old days when ZANU PF just inaugarated themselves and moved onto ru(i)nning the country they need MDC in order to gain some legitimacy.
Why can't the president simply announce his cabinet, look east as he has been doing for the past 8 years, continue his farm redistribution, farm mechanisation and in no time the economy should be on it's knees, I mean feet?
Because it has gone beyond that - the country has gone beyond inflation. We are now in hyperinflation (I shall post another article tomorrow pointing out what all this 2 million percent means because if we all appreciated what it means believe me we would all realise the dire straits we are in and stop taking sides in this crisis and realise there was no victor in the elections. We have an opportunity to address this situation but as long as you all think you are doing great in supporting the ruling party when ZANU PF itslef has indicated (by going into negotiations with MDC) that it is beyond them to fix.
I neither take sides nor advocate any sides. I simply empathise and try to make you realise that it doesn't pay to comment on this website in favour of a single dispensation when quite clearly both parties have accepted they need each other.
Stop politicking and help out with solutions. Tomorrow I will give you an article that clearly states the situation of our economy and if you don't believe me when I say we will soon be having food rationing in Zimbabwe then you are in for a big shock.
jojo • jojo@yahoo.com Subject: talks Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:11:01 • why is everyone pre occupied by tsvangirai, does the opinion of a stooge party matter? zanu pf won the election by an 85% margin, why worry about a party supported by a mere 15% of the population? am i missing something here? zanu you got the victory you so much wanted, tongai nyika. handei mberi ne 100% empowerment. the people's shops are now there with a bottomless supply of commodities, tinodeyi futi?. chinotimba mucabinet, Gushungo tongai nyika, hapana chekumirira. hatichadi kunzwa nezvematalks, what for with losers, stooges etc.
Cde Matoto Emheni • n/a Subject: MDC has Failed Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:23:28 • WE are sick & tired of the MDC flipping & flopping around. Can these guys not make any decisions without seeming to wait on Brown & Bush? Clearly there needs to be a leadership change now for the sake of our beloved nation. Morgan has clearly failed to take nay advantage that he might have had prior to pulling out of the run off. Zanu has whipped him & will continue to do so whilst the country burns. NGAAENDE MOGIDZA. I am fed up with his attitude more than I am with Zanu at the moment. This guy has betrayed us all.
SAMAS • n/a Subject: n/a Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:20:29 • Huuyai kumusha tishupike tose. You may write what you want but this illegimate govt is in a corner. I also wonder why now zpf wants to negotiate with a stooge. I thought they were overwelmingly elected/ MT was rejected by Zimbabweans. Tongai tione, Biti told you so.
Cde Matoto Emheni • mucha_1@yahoo.co.uk Subject: MDC's pussyfooting Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:58:38 • WE are sick & tired of the MDC flipping & flopping around. Can these guys not make any descisions without seeming to wait on Brown & Bush. Clearly there needs to be a leadership change now for the sake of our beloved nation. Morgan has clearly failed to take nay advantage that he might have had prior to pulling out of the run off. Zanu has whipped him & will continue to do so whilst the country burns. NGAAENDE MOGIDZA. I am fed up with his attitude more than I am with Zanu at the moment. This guy has betrayed us all.
Dzvinyangoma • n/a Subject: Who is Ping? Another MDC-T excuse!! Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:35:17 • Why is this Ping guy only advising Tsvangirai not to do things and not Mutambara? Why does Tsvangirai have to consult Ping when he is the owner of MDC-T? If Ping is going to be appraised by Mbeki on what is happening in the talks, how does he know what to advise Tsvangirai? If he has already been appraised by Tsvangirai so as to reach a conclusion to advise Tsvangirai not to sign the MoU, then he does not need an update from Mbeki. I think Mbeki should snub this Ping guy as he seems to be putting spanners in the works. If anything why hasn't this guy been contacted to find out why he has twice advised Tsvangirai first against attending a meeting he called for and now, signing the MoU?
Ranga • tomtawa@gmail.com Subject: N/A Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:31:16 • This report is meant to discredit Tsvangirai.
Tsvangirai has been very consistent on the MDC conditions for talks. However, the pro-Zanu PF media want to portray him as a stooge.
I feel that his concerns are genuine:
1) The need to have an impartial mediator who is acceptable to all parties is important for peace processes to be successful. Mbeki has proved not to be an honest mediator. The MDC does not have confidence in him. Hence, the MDC's call for an AU or UN representative to be part of the negotiating team. However, for the talks to be successful such a person should be acceptable to ZANU PF as well.
2) Violence must stop. In all peace processes serious talks happen after a ceasation of hostilities / ceasefire agreement - in war situations - has been signed. Peace processes tend to be vulnerable to violence at the early stages. There are ZANU PF elites who feel threatened by moves to peace or the talks. Such peace spoilers are concerned with personal gains rather than political gains and don't want change so would want to see violence going on so as to frustrate the other negotiating party. There is need to isolate such zealots as well as stopping the violence if we are going to having meaningful talks.
3) Release of political prisoners. I think it's also a genuine concern considering the fact that more than a 1000 MDC supporters are political prisoners. In this case there is need for an impartial application of the rule of law. It's important to come up with such confidence-building measures. There is need to come up with a solution that leads to sustainable peace, not just rush into signing an agreement for the sake of it. This will backfire in the future. As I said in my earlier contribution lets not limit ourselves to a problem-solving approach, but we should also look for a solution through a critical approach.
Jonathan Moyo appears to be concerned about his personal gains, hence, his bashing of Tsvangirai recently. We know that Moyo is a Munangagwa boy so it is in his self-interest to discredit Tsvangirai so that people lose confidence him. Since there are rumors that Munangagwa will soon take over from Mugabe, Jonathan Moyo appears to be strategically positioning himself for a post in Munangagwa's government, that is, if the current talks fails and ZANU PF continues to be in power.
Chiefnegomo(aka Oliver Mtyambizi) • chiefnegomo@yahoo.com Subject: MMM Thu, 17 Jul 2008 05:32:50 • We are sick and tired of a party that fails to take its own decisions.A protracted mediation team is not a court to ascertain the wrongs of anyone.A mediation team do not suggest anything to ZPF/MDC,but rather controls the way forward.Such disenchantment episodes in the history of MDC as a part has got serious boomerang effects.
The pragmatic presuposition by a possible leader that his negotiating team supposedly has erred depicts him as either a tyrannt or an unwitting puppet.This man should stop going for a cue from a man who has failed his state.Today brown and bush have become so unpopular in their respective society.By so doing Morgan is rubber stamping what he calls allegations by Robert that he is an unwitting puppet for that matter.
To those who do not know Jean ping,He is a half cast from a chineese father and Gaboneese mom.Interestingly He has served in the govt of possibly Africa's longest serving president Omar Bongo who has been in power 4years after the formation of ZANUPF (Omar been in power since 1967).In as much as we want african ideologies,Jean Ping does not seem very qualified as well as he hails from an undemocratic govt including at one time a son inlaw to Omar.
Please Morgan be a nationalist and be able to define your own destiny. I am of the opinion that this man is writing his politicaly obituary if he keeps on taking ZANUPF for granted
Tendi • n/a Subject: n/a Thu, 17 Jul 2008 04:37:49 • Tsvangirai is still holed up in Zimbabwe with no passport. He can go to his friends in Africa and Europe and America. he has to watch ZTV if there's electricity and he has to join queues for food. He hasn't 'seen' his wife in weeks now and his kids in SA and he is not employed. He is in a place where Zanu PF wants him, so these delays will affect him. Even his PR team at Hirschman cant reach him. In the meantime ministers are in their state cars they couldn't care less. he is in the losing seat. He will eventyually have to negotiate anyway. Look how he came backi to Sadc and AU after all his globetrotting?
Munyaradzi Chambati • n/a Subject: MDC walk away - good for Zanu PF Thu, 17 Jul 2008 04:32:53 • By following Brown's script, MDC is losing the plot. Zanu PF is not desperate for anything. They are happy with what's going on. MDC is not in cabinet, their ministers are still intact. Parliament is non-existent, Mugabe can make unilateral decisions without question and when talks collapse it must be MDC that withdrew.
In the runoff election, it was MDC that withdrew, not Zanu PF endorsing Mugabe and making him president and better position to negotiate from.
This is a masterstroke from Zanu PF, make Tsvangison walk away and remain in the game alone or with a weak MDC (Mutambara), pretending to be surprised, but all the while ruling.
Tenzi • n/a Subject: n/a Thu, 17 Jul 2008 04:27:09 • Professor Jonathan Moyo, an independent legislator who says he is “uniquely qualified” to critique both Zanu PF and MDC over the talks on Wednesday suggested Tsvangirai was taking a cue from Brown.
“Brown appears so convinced that Mbeki will fail,” Moyo said, “and that leads me to believe he will use Tsvangirai to scuttle the mediation.”
n/a • n/a Subject: n/a Thu, 17 Jul 2008 04:25:41 • Gordon Brown warned that Britain would try to push through another United Nations resolution seeking to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe if Mbeki’s mediation failed to lead to a “legitimate outcome”.
Do these guys think we are stupid and can't see what's going on? Tsvangirai write and read your own script not Gordon's....
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