'MDCs failed to use their leverage,' says Lindiwe Zulu

South African President Jacob Zuma's facilitation team spokesperson Lindiwe Zulu - who was in Harare yesterday with deputy president Kgalema Mothlante to attend President Mugabe's inauguration - says the MDC parties failed to use their leverage during the protracted talks to secure reforms from Zanu-PF before elections.

Speaking for the first time since she was gagged by Zuma after a barrage of attacks from Mugabe, who described her as a "stupid street woman" during his trailblazing campaigns ahead of the polls, Zulu said on the sidelines of the Sadc summit in Lilongwe, Malawi that they "were really shocked by the MDC negotiators who failed to pin down Zanu-PF to implement reforms".