/ 31 August 2008

Mbeki to chart way forward in Zim talks

South African President Thabo Mbeki is to chart the way forward in stalled talks for a power-sharing government in Zimbabwe.

South African President Thabo Mbeki is to chart the way forward in stalled talks for a power-sharing government in Zimbabwe after meeting representatives from the main political parties, Justice Minister Patrick Chinamisa said in a state newspaper article published on Sunday.

”I can confirm that we went to South Africa for separate bilateral discussions with the facilitator,” Chinamasa, who is one of the chief negotiators for President Robert Mugabe, was quoted as saying by the Sunday Mail.

”The meeting was convened because the facilitator wanted to search for a way forward,” he added.

It was still unclear when Mbeki would make a pronouncement on what will happen next, after meeting negotiators from the Zimbabwe parties in South Africa on Friday.

MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa confirmed that their negotiators had met with Mbeki on Friday and returned to Zimbabwe on Sunday.

”We remain cautiously optimistic that the dialogue is going to be successfully concluded, ” he said on Sunday.

He added that a collapse of the dialogue would be ”catastrophic” for Zimbabwe and would ”catalyse suffering”.

”This is why we feel as MDC we have to be committed to the success of the dialogue,” Chamisa said.

The negotiations reached a deadlock two weeks ago after Mugabe and opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai failed to strike a compromise over the sharing of executive powers.

Zimbabwe’s state media on Saturday reported that Mugabe’s Zanu-PF had rejected a ”new but absurd suggestion” from the MDC that the country’s Cabinet be co-chaired by Mugabe and Tsvangirai.

”Zanu-PF dismissed the suggestion, not just as insolent, but also stunning ignorance on how government works,” state daily the Herald quoted a Zanu-PF source as saying.

The power-sharing talks followed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Zanu-PF and the two factions of the MDC on July 21.

In power since 1980, Mugabe retained office in June after a one-candidate, presidential run-off after the withdrawal of Tsvangirai who cited violence and intimidation against his supporters in the lead-up to vote.

‘Malicious claims’
Meanwhile, the MDC claimed Saturday that it had unearthed a ”plot” by government lawyers and intelligence agents to secure convictions against its lawmakers in a bid to reverse its majority in Parliament.

”Johannes Tomana, the deputy attorney general is leading this plot,” the party said in a statement, without giving details.

Tomana could not be reached for comment but deputy information minister Bright Matonga dismissed the claims.

”We are now used to these malicious claims by the MDC. They are meant to make their Western sponsors happy and tarnish our government.

There is nothing like that going on. The attorney general’s office is independent of the government,” said Matonga.

Fourteen MDC MPs on a police ”wanted list” are either on remand or in police custody on charges linked to a spate of political violence after March elections that claimed mainly the lives of MDC supporters.

Five MDC MPs have been arrested since Monday, when the new 210-seat lower house of Parliament was sworn in. Four are still being held on charges including attempted murder and rape — charges the MDC say mask a bid by Mugabe to overturn his party’s defeat in the March elections.

On Friday, in a sign of a more conciliatory stance, the government lifted a nearly three-month ban on field work by aid agencies, whom it had accused of stumping for the MDC.

The lifting of the ban means the agencies can resume distributing food to about two million people in need. – AFP, Sapa-DPA