Zuma slams 'weird' move to deny Tsvangirai passport

CRITICISM: ANC chief Jacob Zuma

• Solved: how Zimbabwe parties can fairly share ministries

• SADC summit postponed, moved to Harare

• Tsvangirai snubs King's offer to fly him to summit

By Staff Reporter
Posted to the web: 22/10/2008 01:32:07
JACOB Zuma has criticised as “weird” the Zimbabwe government’s decision not to give Morgan Tsvangirai a passport – an omission which scuppered efforts by regional leaders to secure final agreement on aspects of a power sharing deal on Monday.

Zuma, the leader of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC), made his criticism of President Robert Mugabe’s government in Washington on Tuesday – a day after a summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) was postponed to next week when Tsvangirai refused to travel to Swaziland on an emergency travel document.

His passport expired last year and the government has refused to issue him a new one.

It had been hoped that Zimbabwe’s three main parties would hammer out a final deal on the composition of a cabinet for a power-sharing government which has been in the works since September 15.

Zuma said: "Now you cannot have this kind of a situation when you are dealing with such an important matter. One of the very key figures cannot attend because he does not have a passport. I think that sounds weird.”

Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said it may boycott the new summit which has been scheduled for Harare next Monday, accusing Mugabe’s Zanu PF party of negotiating in bad faith.

Zuma, displaying a growing impatience, said: "If we have a package that has been agreed upon, hailed by the world, why should we have difficulty implementing it? After all, this is not a permanent arrangement. We are talking about an interim arrangement. Why should it be so difficult?”

Zuma -- likely to be elected as president of South Africa in elections next year -- met US government officials, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Rice said the US would consider new sanctions against Mugabe’s government if the power sharing deal failed.

Zuma said he and Rice agreed that the parties need to complete a deal for the sake of the Zimbabwean people. Although the United States broached the idea of new sanctions against Mugabe and his close associates, the ANC leader said Rice told him that existing sanctions should remain until there is an agreement brokered by SADC.

"The Secretary just said the current sanctions will be maintained until there is a resolution of the problem. That's a point she made. And, of course, SADC is dealing with the matter. They're actually concretely and practically dealing with the situation. As you know, they met in Swaziland, in Mbabane," said Zuma.

"I think we support them as they endeavour to insure that that is concluded. That's what we can do."

Zuma said the ANC is engaging both Zanu PF party and the MDC in pursuit of an agreement and that he makes personal interventions with Zimbabwean politicians when he can.

At the same time, he dismissed as speculation published reports that, if he becomes president, he would take a harder line with Mugabe than former South African President Thabo Mbeki, who leads Zimbabwe mediation efforts.
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