SADC leaders fail to break Zimbabwe impasse

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• SADC leaders in Harare, seek end to cabinet impasse

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• Tsvangirai performs U-turn on SADC summit

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• War veterans threaten action against Tsvangirai

• Zuma slams 'weird' move to deny Tsvangirai passport

• Solved: how Zimbabwe parties can fairly share ministries

• SADC summit postponed, moved to Harare

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

Posted to the web: 27/10/2008 21:42:11
SOUTHERN African leaders meeting in Harare on Monday have failed to get Zimbabwe's three main parties to agree on a Cabinet after marathon talks.

Former South African President Thabo Mbeki and the leaders of Mozambique, Angola, Swaziland and South Africa who form the SADC Troika responsible for regional security, politics and defence held talks with President Robert Mugabe and his opposition rivals Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara throughout Monday to break a deadlock over the allocation of ministries which is threatening a September 15 power sharing agreement.

After several hours of talks, a spokesman for the opposition MDC faction led by Mutambara said Tsvangirai and Mugabe had failed to agree on who controls the Home Affairs ministry, which is also in charge of the police.

"There has been a deadlock over Home Affairs. A SADC communique will follow later clarifying issues," said Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga, one of the MDC's negotiators.

New Zimbabwe.com understands the matter will now be referred to a full SADC summit.

Before the meeting between leaders of the SADC Troika -- the organ on security, politics and defence -- Mbeki had said he was "very optimistic" of a breakthrough.

The elusive agreement is seen as key to any effort to pull Zimbabwe out of a deep economic crisis. Inflation is out of control and food and fuel shortages are widespread in the once prosperous nation.

Tsvangirai outpolled Mugabe in a presidential election on March 29 but by too few votes to avoid a run-off in June. Mugabe won the second round after Tsvangirai pulled out, saying his supporters had been subjected to violence and intimidation.

The rivals signed an agreement to form a unity government last month after mediation by Mbeki. The parties then locked horns over control of ministries.

"As we start discussions today, the options are very limited to the three leaders. The agreement we signed on September 15 must work," Mutambara said before going into Monday's talks.

Tsvangirai, set to become prime minister, accuses Zanu PF of trying to make the MDC a junior partner with responsibility for lesser ministries. He boycotted a summit in Swaziland last week, saying Mugabe's government refused to give him a passport.

In turn, Zanu PF accuses Tsvangirai of wanting to seize power rather than share it and of stalling the talks to try to drag in the United Nations to mediate.

Zanu PF's chief negotiator Patrick Chinamasa on Monday charged that Tsvangirai was fashioning himself into "another Savimbi" -- reference to the western-backed former Angolan rebel leader who was captured and killed by government troops after years of leading an insurrection and pulling out of peace talks.

"If, however, the British and American intelligence services have decided to turn Tsvangirai into another Savimbi, Monday’s meeting will be a dismal failure of which Zimbabweans would have to face up to the challenge and learn pretty fast how to cope with developments that will devolve from such a negative outcome," Chinamasa said.

He added: "I know that as Zimbabweans we lack the experience on how to deal with a Savimbi case in our national politics. Someone out there should talk to the British and Americans and dissuade them from turning Tsvangirai into another Savimbi." - Staff Reporter/Reuters
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