Do or die talks on cards

Njabulo Ncube
Political Editor

LEADERS of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are working behind the scenes to facilitate an urgent meeting between President Robert Mugabe and Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, to salvage the shaky power-sharing agreement signed on September 15 2008.
The Financial Gazette has it on good authority that South African President, Kgalema Motlanthe, has agreed to Tsvangirai’s request for another round of SADC-brokered dialogue with President Mugabe to discuss what he referred to as “outstanding issues.”
Kgalema is now trying to secure a date for the meeting acceptable to both sides as chairman of the 15-member regional grouping.
South Africa will host the proposed meeting subject to the availability of both leaders.
Diplomatic sources said the MDC-T leader has again highlighted to SADC his opposition to Thabo Mbeki’s mediation, accusing the former South African president of being partisan.
Tsvangirai, the sources added, feared for his safety in Zimbabwe hence his shuttling between Botswana and South Africa.
They said the MDC-T leader had been informed by his internal security that it was not yet safe to return to Zimbabwe despite public overtures by President Mugabe and senior government officials urging him to return home and join the envisaged all-inclusive government.
It also emerged this week that SADC leaders were exerting pressure on Tsvangirai to return to Zimbabwe from self-imposed exile in Botswana after the Harare administration issued him with a new passport.
Pressure is also being applied on President Mugabe, who turns 85 next month, not to unilaterally form a coalition government that would exclude Tsvangirai.
“Regional leaders are burning midnight oil to have President Mugabe and Tsvangirai meet. There is pressure being piled on both protagonists to make the deal work,” said an African diplomat closely following the developments.
“The region is aware that the stalemate is not due to one individual or party, but both contestants as they vie to protect their turf. You expect this in power-sharing especially from politicians with diverse political ideologies,” said the diplomat who spoke strictly on condition of anonymity.
President Mugabe, currently on his official annual leave, wrote to Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara, leader of the smaller faction of the MDC, on December 17 alerting them of his intention to proceed with the formation of an inclusive government as per the Global Political Agreement (GPA).
The Zimbabwean leader further invited both factions of the MDC to submit names of people they propose to occupy cabinet posts and position of deputy ministers.
In his letter, President Mugabe reminded Tsvangirai and Mutambara of the portfolios which had been allocated to the parties under the GPA.
Under the deal ZANU-PF has 15 ministries, MDC-T 13 and MDC-M 3.
ZANU-PF and MDC-T are supposed to share the Home Affairs ministry, a decision endorsed by SADC but rejected by the MDC-T as a nullity.
Mutambara responded to President Mugabe’s letter on the formation of government in a one-page letter saying: “While fully appreciating the utmost urgency of the matter, may I, your Excellency, respectfully suggest and request that the matter of nominations to Ministerial positions be resolved by way of a meeting of the principals so that the nominations may be reflected upon by the principals.”
While the Mutambara camp has indicated it had no qualms in joining the unity government, Tsvangirai has refused to enter the coalition insisting on a meeting with President Mugabe to iron out unresolved issues with him.
Tsvangirai wrote to President Mugabe on December 18 2008 stating his reluctance to join the inclusive government, saying persecution of MDC-T activists and supporters continued unabated and that the fair sharing of ministries was still a thorny issue.
Under the terms of the power-sharing agreement, Tsvangirai would be appointed Prime Minister, among other issues agreed by the three principals.
Sources claimed Motlanthe and other regional leaders eager to end the nagging Zimbabwean crisis were pushing hard to get the two protagonists talking during President Mugabe’s annual leave.
“We have made our position known to SADC, specifically President Motlanthe, that there is need for a meeting of the principals to discuss the outstanding issues or the region should forget about us rushing to join a so-called all-inclusive government,” said an MDC insider privy to the stalemate.
 “We have emphasised in our latest correspondence with regional leaders as well as in our response to President Mugabe that we have lost faith in Mbeki as a mediator and want him replaced preferably by Motlanthe,” added the source.
Efforts to get a comment from either the MDC-T secretary general, Tendai Biti or Nelson Chamisa, the party spokesperson, were fruitless. Biti and Chamisa have not been available for the past four days as they are reportedly attending consultative meetings with Tsvangirai in South Africa.