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Zuma not visiting Zimbabwe soon
25 Jun 2012 at 15:19hrs | Views
South African President Jacob Zuma will not visit Zimbabwe this week to help resolve sticking Global Political Agreement (GPA) as reported as he is busy with his African National Congress (ANC) policy conference, Lindiwe Zulu Zuma's international relations advisor said.
Zuma, the facilitator to the GPA negotiations by the country's three main parties MDC-T, MDC and Zanu-PF was expected this week to help parties iron out the election roadmap to allow fresh elections to replace the coalition government formed in February 2009 after disputed violent elections in June 2008.
"President Zuma will not be in Zimbabwe this week. I don't know where the other press is getting that from. President Zuma will be busy with the ANC policy conference this whole week. There is no way he can be out of the country," Zulu said over the telephone from her base in South Africa.
But she said:"The negotiators have been meeting and the negotiations are currently on-going."
The Sunday Times of South Africa had reported Sunday that Zuma will be in Zimbabwe on Monday or Tuesday, quoting an official of one the party negotiators to the GPA.
Zuma was tasked by the last SADC summit to ensure that the three parties complete the constitutional making process with a referendum held thereafter.
According to the GPA Zimbabwe must write a new constitution which will be followed by a referendum to allow fresh elections which will bring an elected government by the people through the ballot unlike the negotiated unity government.
But the constitution making process has been delayed for the past year after parties were failing to agree on issues such as devolution of power and lack of funding for the process which is mainly funded by donor countries from Western nations.
"President Zuma will not be in Zimbabwe this week. I don't know where the other press is getting that from. President Zuma will be busy with the ANC policy conference this whole week. There is no way he can be out of the country," Zulu said over the telephone from her base in South Africa.
But she said:"The negotiators have been meeting and the negotiations are currently on-going."
The Sunday Times of South Africa had reported Sunday that Zuma will be in Zimbabwe on Monday or Tuesday, quoting an official of one the party negotiators to the GPA.
Zuma was tasked by the last SADC summit to ensure that the three parties complete the constitutional making process with a referendum held thereafter.
According to the GPA Zimbabwe must write a new constitution which will be followed by a referendum to allow fresh elections which will bring an elected government by the people through the ballot unlike the negotiated unity government.
But the constitution making process has been delayed for the past year after parties were failing to agree on issues such as devolution of power and lack of funding for the process which is mainly funded by donor countries from Western nations.
Source - radiovop
