News / Africa
Zuma's facilitation team hopeful to make a breakthrough in the Zimb crisis
24 Dec 2011 at 06:12hrs | Views
South African President, Jacob Zuma's facilitation team says it hopes to make a breakthrough in the Zimbabwean crisis early next year to enable the country to hold free and fair elections, Daily News reported
In a message issued exclusively to the Daily News, Lindiwe Zulu, the spokesperson of the facilitation team, said her team would remain committed to its facilitatory role.
"We would like to wish Zimbabweans a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year," Zulu said.
"It is our hope that with the New Year, the situation in Zimbabwe will improve further and things will be better than the previous year.
"As the facilitation team, we will remain committed to helping Zimbabwe find solutions to its challenges and hope that together we will conquer those challenges," added Zulu.
The facilitation team, Zulu said, was hoping to push the negotiations between the three political parties in the country to their logical conclusion.
"We still have some issues with the negotiation teams that we still want to deal with.
"Once those are pushed by the wayside, we are certain that we would have edged closer to our destination, which is to see the principals in Zimbabwe meeting the facilitator to do the final review of the situation," she added.
Zuma was for the better part of the year expected to visit Zimbabwe for a meeting with President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, and under-fire Deputy Prime Minister, Arthur Mutambara.
The meeting, it was hoped, would see the four addressing issues pertaining to the security sector reforms, media and electoral reforms, among other issues.
"We are sure that once we deal with these outstanding issues and the facilitation process comes to an end, of course with a free and fair election capping it all, Zimbabweans will be able to live a life they so desire.
"Our vision of such a life is where Zimbabweans will be allowed and able to choose their government in a free and fair election, without intimidation and the installation of fear in the electorate.
"We also believe there should be no use of violence to cow voters into submission," Zulu said.
In a message issued exclusively to the Daily News, Lindiwe Zulu, the spokesperson of the facilitation team, said her team would remain committed to its facilitatory role.
"We would like to wish Zimbabweans a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year," Zulu said.
"It is our hope that with the New Year, the situation in Zimbabwe will improve further and things will be better than the previous year.
"As the facilitation team, we will remain committed to helping Zimbabwe find solutions to its challenges and hope that together we will conquer those challenges," added Zulu.
The facilitation team, Zulu said, was hoping to push the negotiations between the three political parties in the country to their logical conclusion.
"We still have some issues with the negotiation teams that we still want to deal with.
"Once those are pushed by the wayside, we are certain that we would have edged closer to our destination, which is to see the principals in Zimbabwe meeting the facilitator to do the final review of the situation," she added.
Zuma was for the better part of the year expected to visit Zimbabwe for a meeting with President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, and under-fire Deputy Prime Minister, Arthur Mutambara.
The meeting, it was hoped, would see the four addressing issues pertaining to the security sector reforms, media and electoral reforms, among other issues.
"We are sure that once we deal with these outstanding issues and the facilitation process comes to an end, of course with a free and fair election capping it all, Zimbabweans will be able to live a life they so desire.
"Our vision of such a life is where Zimbabweans will be allowed and able to choose their government in a free and fair election, without intimidation and the installation of fear in the electorate.
"We also believe there should be no use of violence to cow voters into submission," Zulu said.
Source - Daily News
