Motlanthe wants Mugabe, Mutambara and Tsvangirai sworn in

FOCUSED: Motlanthe has called on Zimbabwe rivals to set-up government

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• Text: statement by South Africa cabinet on Zimbabwe

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• Tsvangirai seeks EU support for inclusive government

• MDC (Tsvangirai) national council resolutions

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• Zanu PF asks Mugabe to form new government

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• Document: SADC communique on Zimbabwe, DRC

Posted to the web: 24/11/2008 09:07:23
SOUTH African President Kgalema Motlanthe has appealed to Zimbabwe's political parties to begin constitutional processes that will create a unity government

He told a press briefing after holding talks with his Botswana counterpart Ian Khama that they agreed on the need for a power sharing government to be urgently put in place.

"We agreed that with regards to Zimbabwe the next step really is to ensure that we unblock the impasse for them to take (Constitutional) Amendment 19 through the senate and the assembly, so that Mr [Morgan] Tsvangirai could be sworn in as prime minister and [Arthur] Mutambara as the vice prime minister and [Robert] Mugabe as the president, so that once the three of them have been sworn in they can then form an inclusive government," Motlanthe said.

A power-sharing deal was signed between Mugabe and two opposition Movement for Democratic Change groups, led by Tsvangirai and Mutambara, in September.

But the agreement has faltered as Mugabe and Tsvangirai fight over control of "key" ministries.

Negotiators for the three parties are set to meet South Africa's former President Thabo Mbeki later this week to discuss contents of the Constitutional Amendment which will create positions of Prime Minister and his two deputies, among other things. Mbeki is the regional-appointed mediator in the crisis.

Tsvangirai's MDC, which has refused to accept the terms offered by Mugabe and regional leaders and wants full control of the home affairs ministry overseeing the police, has responded coolly to the Mbeki invitation.

The Reuters news agency quoted MDC officials threatening to boycott the meeting in protest against the Southern African Development Community's (SADC) stance on the dispute between Mugabe's Zanu PF and the MDC.

"There is a strong feeling that attending the meeting would legitimise a SADC resolution rejected by the party. We cannot continue engaging in this process when SADC and Mbeki refuse to take our legitimate concerns seriously," the source said.

"Tsvangirai does not want a boycott of the meeting, but other officials, led by secretary general Tendai Biti, don't want that meeting to go ahead until SADC rescinds its decision."

SADC has recommended that Mugabe and Tsvangirai jointly control the home affairs ministry and that a unity government be set up "forthwith". The MDC accuses the bloc of siding with Mugabe.

MDC Tsvangirai spokesman Nelson Chamisa said the party's leadership would meet in Harare on Monday to decide whether to attend the latest round of negotiations.

"It is our view that our negotiating teams can meet here, without going to Pretoria. We continue to insist that there are more issues remaining, apart from the constitutional amendment."

The MDC has said it was not consulted when the constitutional bill was drafted, dismissing it as a "Zanu PF draft."

Tsvangirai, who was still in South Africa on Sunday, would not take part in the MDC's meeting, his spokesman George Sibotshiwe said.

"He has meetings lined up throughout Monday, here in South Africa," Sibotshiwe said.

The historic power-sharing pact, signed on September15, is seen as the best hope of rescuing Zimbabwe's ruined economy. - Sapa/Reuters
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