ZANU-PF's bid to replace Zuma rejected

SADC (Southern African Development Community) has rejected ZANU-PF's bid to replace South African President Jacob Zuma as the facilitator of local talks on grounds that his imminent chairing of the organ's Troika would create conflict of interest, The Financial Gazette reported on Friday. Zuma ignited considerable ructions within ZANU-PF following a hard-hitting report he submitted in March at the SADC Troika summit held in Livingstone, Zambia, that subtly tore into the liberation party and called for reforms.

The South African leader's facilitation team has also been at loggerheads with ZANU-PF over its stubborn resolution to hold polls this year; with a complaint having already been lodged against one of the key members of the team, Lindiwe Zulu, for disparaging comments on the party's succession politics.

But it was the damning Livingstone report that saw ZANU-PF hardliners mobilising to oust Zuma, after he had reversed South Africa's quiet diplomacy on Zimbabwe and urged SADC to make it clear that the "situation in Zimbabwe can no longer be tolerated".

The hardliners have latched on Zuma's assumption of the chairmanship of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security in August as reason for him to step down to avoid a conflict of interest.

The case against Zuma has been slowly building up and in recent weeks has found expression in the State media, which is unlikely to question his role without official sanction, as pressure from ZANU-PF mounts for him to step down.

A day before the SADC extraordinary summit on Zimbabwe held in Sandton, South Africa, a fortnight ago, the State media reported that it would be very odd for Zuma to chair the Troika as well as play his role as facilitator.

It raised questions as to who the South African President would report to while "putting on two hats".

SADC's executive secretary, Tomaz Salomao, this week said Zuma was there to stay, even when he assumes the Troika's chairmanship in August.

"In August President Zuma would be the chairperson of the organ and there won't be any problems. At one time President Mbeki was both the chairperson and facilitator. There was no problem," said Salamao. He added that the party has not officially requested Zuma's removal.

ZANU-PF secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa, said it was not clear whether or not Zuma would be removed, but added that there is a possibility when considering that the previous mediator, former South African president Thabo Mbeki, had relinquished his post.

"It is not cast in stone, but there is a possibility. If you look at Mbeki he was replaced by Zuma. The same thing might happen," said Mutasa.

Sources this week said the Livingst-one debacle had proved to ZANU-PF that the path ahead was fraught with political risks considering that Zuma's stance on events in the country could be unpredictable.

Following the Livingstone summit, ZANU-PF lined up its members and analysts as well as the State media who attacked Zuma for his "erratic behaviour", adding that he was a liability.

"The problem with Mr Zuma now is that his disconcerting behaviour has become a huge liability, not only to South Africa but also to the rest of the continent . . . Mr Zuma's duplicity is astounding. With such leaders, Africa is in mortal danger," an editorial attack on Zuma in the State media said.

"On Zimbabwe, President Zuma is showing himself to be a dishonest broker. As mediator, his role is to encourage dialogue and amity among the three parties to Zimbabwe's Global Political Agreement. His role is not to meddle and dictate. By pandering to the idle chatter of some political players here, Mr Zuma is compromising his integrity as SADC mediator."

ZANU-PF also publicly opposed the Livingstone summit resolutions and branded the meeting as unprocedural.

However, the party suffered a huge blow when the extraordinary summit in South Africa confirmed some of the resolutions the party had fiercely opposed such as the need to second SADC officials to work with the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee as well as the need to come up with an election roadmap.

Ahead of that summit, President Mugabe told The Southern Times that ZANU-PF was in a crisis, confirming what analysts and the whistle-blowing website, WikiLeaks, had already said.