DEAL at last! Zimbabwe’s three main political parties — Zanu-PF, MDC-T and MDC

[XXPANTHAXX]

DEAL at last! Zimbabwe’s three main political parties — Zanu-PF, MDC-T
and MDC — last night reached an agreement to form an all-inclusive
Government following months of negotiations.

Announcing the conclusion of the talks last night, Sadc-appointed
mediator, South African President Thabo Mbeki said President Mugabe,
Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara had "unanimously" endorsed a
final political settlement that will be unveiled to the public on
Monday.

The parties would over this weekend work out the composition of the new
Government and stressed that its priority would be to turn around the
economy with emphasis on food security.

Regional and continental leaders are expected to attend the official
signing ceremony scheduled to start at 10am in Harare.

President Mbeki urged the international community to respect the
agreement as it represented the wishes of the people of Zimbabwe.

"I would like to announce that we have concluded the negotiations that
the parties have been engaged in. An agreement has been reached (and)
there will be a signing ceremony at 10 o’clock in Harare.

"The documents that have been agreed on and signed by the principals
today will be officially signed at a ceremony to be attended by regional
and continental leaders to express their support for this agreement," he
said.

"The parties have taken these negotiations seriously because of the need
and desire to find a lasting solution to the challenges being faced by
the country.

"It is an agreement that is unanimous, without any reservations. We have
been working with the Government of Zimbabwe and the people of Zimbabwe
and with the support of the region and the continent we will mobilise
resources to assist Zimbabwe to recover.

"We hope that everybody in the international community will respect this
agreement, lend their support and extend the necessary hand of support
for the country to recover from its socio-economic challenges.

"We are confident that our friends will respond so that this political
agreement succeeds. All the parties are motivated by the desire to find
a solution to the economic challenges.

"Just today, we were discussing the forthcoming agricultural season and
the need to have seed, fertilizer and all the necessary inputs so that
next year we will not have a problem of food security," he said.

The South African leader said, as facilitators, they were pleased by
repeated statements of commitment to the success of the talks by the
parties.

"We have been involved in a number of negotiations across Africa, in
Lesotho, Burundi, the DRC, the Comoros, Cote d’Ivoire, and elsewhere and
we have always been confident that this dialogue process would succeed.

"We have been particularly pleased, however, by the repeated commitment
shown by the parties here for the talks to succeed. Like all dialogue
processes, the parties came and presented their positions and people
give and take and in the end they have reached an agreement."

President Mbeki said they were confident that the deal would hold as it
was coming from the people of Zimbabwe and represented their aspirations
as a nation.

He said he had not been distracted by criticism from detractors who said
his "quiet diplomacy" was not achieving any results.

"Well, we never paid any particular attention to criticism about the
so-called quiet diplomacy. All diplomacy is quiet. If it isn’t quiet,
then it is not diplomacy.

"We understood what was required to produce a positive outcome when we
were asked by Sadc to facilitate dialogue. We have handled negotiations
elsewhere in exactly the same way.

"But for some strange reason, we cannot understand what was perfectly
acceptable in other places in Africa was not acceptable in Zimbabwe. But
we did not let this distract us from our purpose," he said.

President Mbeki said South Africa had taken up the task to facilitate
the dialogue with the full realisation that as neighbours, negative
developments in one country affected the other.

"You should know that we have been involved in the political situation
in Zimbabwe since 1998. In 2001 Sadc Heads of State were here in this
same building on the same day, September 11 discussing the political
situation and seven years later we are back to conclude this process.

"So we have always been involved and as a neighbour we do not need any
encouragement from anybody to assist a brother."

Tsvangirai, who was the first to leave the venue of the negotiations,
gave a brief statement to the media saying a deal had been reached.

"All I can tell you right now is that we have got a deal."

No comment could be obtained from Mutambara.

President Mbeki returned to South Africa last night and will be
returning to Harare on Monday.


Chiefs request closed-door meeting with President

Traditional leaders have requested to meet President Mugabe in the
absence of the Press and Government officials to brief him on
developments in the country.

President of the Council of Chiefs, Chief Fortune Charumbira said
traditional leaders had grievances on the conduct of some senior
Government and Zanu-PF officials..

He said some senior officials had personally visited traditional leaders
in the run up to the March 29 harmonised elections soliciting for
support to succeed Cde Mugabe.

The failure by Zanu-PF to win outright on March 29 was because of the
divisions in the party.

He said the traditional leaders have the names of the senior officials
who worked against the party.

Chief Charumbira said Cde Mugabe remains the traditional leaders’ choice
for president.

"We do not see any other picture other than yours," he said.

In a wide ranging address to the chiefs just before Cde Mugabe spoke,
Chief Charumbira said the Deputy Minister of Agriculture Cde David
Chapfika had given a report that did not tally with facts on the ground.
He said the chiefs had accused him of reading prepared notes.

Chief Charumbira singled out Reserve Bank Governor Dr Gideon Gono as a
performer among the people appointed by Cde Mugabe.

"Some of the people you entrust with power do not perform. Gono is a
performer.

"When he comes to us he acknowledges that you have sent him. The rest
act as if it is through their wisdom that they assist us," he said.

He said were it not for Dr Gono, the economy would have long collapsed.

Chief Charumbira said Government should repossess all under-utilised
land regardless of who owns the land. He said only hard workers should
be allowed on the land. He said the chiefs were not happy with arguments
that people need up to 40 years to gain farming experience yet they have
been provided with all inputs.

He also asked or a review of chiefs’ allowances.

Chief Charumbira said the power to either dismiss or suspend a chief
should not be vested in the Minister of Local Government or his
secretary but should be the responsibility of a tribunal in the same
manner judges are treated.

He said chiefs support the ongoing talks but were urging the parties
involved to conclude the talks and allow for the formation of a
Government.

In response to some of the chiefs issues President Mugabe agreed to meet
the chiefs and get to hear what they have to say on behalf of the
people.

He also said Government was looking into the issue of their allowances.

[MsLioness]

til Monday.......