SADC meeting vital to save fragile Zim GNU

In a bid to save the inclusive government from collapsing, PM Tsvangirai will soon meet the Southern African Development Community (SADC) facilitator, President Jacob Zuma.

Tsvangirai's meeting with Zuma would be critical to ensure that Zimbabwe averts a renewed political crisis and remains on the transitional path towards free and fair elections.

Zuma, who is expected to soon brief the SADC troika on the Zimbabwe political stalemate, has already taken measures to intervene. This week he dispatched his special envoy Mac Maharaj to meet with Zanu-PF representatives Patrick Chinamasa and Emmerson Mnangagwa, MDC-T negotiator Tendai Biti and MDC-N's delegates Priscillah Misihairabwi-Mushonga and Moses Mzila over the crisis. South African ambassador to Harare, Mlungisi Makalima, attended the meetings.

Zimbabwe's negotiators are expected to meet between this coming Wednesday and Friday to discuss the elections road map, although the meetings could face a lot of problems ahead.

The Global Political Agreement (GPA) and Government of National Unity (GNU) were last week shaken in their foundations at the arrest of Energy and Power Development Minister Elton Mangoma for allegedly violating tender procedures in awarding a $6-million fuel tender to two South African companies - Mohwelere and NOOA. However, Justice Samuel Kudya practically quashed the threadbare allegations at the bail hearing on Tuesday.

The GNU was also rocked by instability after the Supreme Court nullified Speaker of Parliament Lovemore Moyo's election on the same day as Mangoma's arrest.

Tsvangirai panicked and threatened to quit. He rushed for emergency meetings on Thursday last week with acting president John Nkomo who was in charge while President Robert Mugabe was away in Ethiopia and diplomats on Friday last week.

Tsvangirai protested to Nkomo and diplomats about the Mangoma and Moyo incidents.

On Monday he confronted them at a meeting before heading into the region to register his protest and lobby for urgent intervention.

Upon his return to Harare, Tsvangirai told journalists on Friday he would soon meet Zuma to tackle the Zimbabwe situation. He also said the SADC troika on politics, defence and security would meet to discuss the issue.

"In the past week, I have held discussions with President Rupiah Banda of Zambia, President Armando Guebbuza of Mozambique, King Mswati III of Swaziland and Botswana President Ian Khama about the need for urgent action on Zimbabwe to ensure people's security and a peaceful environment in the country. I will soon be meeting the facilitator, President Jacob Zuma, over the situation in the country," Tsvangirai said.

"I have told these fellow leaders that the time for SADC to act and deliver is now. And we are all agreed that Zimbabwe should not be allowed to decelerate into an implosion. I have told the SADC leaders of the renewed siege mood in Zimbabwe, the arbitrary arrests, the crackdown on democratic forces in the country and the culture of impunity that is seriously threatening the health and the life of the inclusive government."

Tsvangirai warned Zimbabwe could slide back to the era of repression and economic chaos unless SADC leaders intervene to rein in Mugabe and Zanu-PF.

"I have told my fellow colleagues in the region that this country risks sliding back to the chaos of 2008 ... the chaos which the same regional leaders mitigated by nudging all the political players to form an inclusive government in the national interest.

"But today, the violence machinery has once again been unrolled in the countryside, the culture of impunity has worsened and the past eight weeks have seen an intensification of the crackdown on the democratic forces in the country," he said

"While I was away in the last four days, it appears the civilian authority is no longer in charge and dark and sinister forces have engaged in a hostile takeover of running the affairs of the country, with or without the blessing of some leaders of the civilian authority.

"Together with civic society and other democratic forces, we had planned to hold a major peace rally in Harare tomorrow to pray for peace in the country."

Tsvangirai's MDC-T party was on Friday battling through the courts to secure permission to hold a peace rally in Harare. Police, loyal to Mugabe, banned the rally claiming venues were booked by Zanu-PF.

"The SADC troika summit due to take place soon, has to seriously address the issue of the road map so that all political players have to adhere to time-bound milestones and rules ahead of the next election. It is my sincere and fervent hope that the SADC region will not stand back and allow this impunity to graduate into full-fledged chaos," Tsvangirai said.