Zimbabwe politicians reach breakthrough
by Chengetai Zvauya hope that they will agree soon on the receiving assurances that South on Mugabe's loyalists In what was seen as a sign of
issue of the removal of sanctions as African President Jacob Zuma would Tsvangirai has said that Zuma's stepped-up intervention, Zuma
HARARE, Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe's well." intervene. predecessor took too soft a line on appointed two advisers and a special
rival leaders met Monday and Tsvangirai had become so frustrat- South African and other regional Mugabe. Thabo Mbeki, now replaced Zimbabwe envoy in November to
announced they had reached two ed he temporarily withdrew from the leaders had pushed for the coalition by Zuma as regional point man on work with politicians in Zimbabwe.
agreements, offering rare reason for unity government in October. He following a series of inconclusive Zimbabwe, had argued that pushing But he has not publicly taken a harder
hope after a year of impasse and dis- returned three weeks later after elections marred by violence blamed Mugabe too hard could backfire. line on Mugabe than did Mbeki. AP
appointment.
The factions joined in a unity gov-
ernment said they were forming com-
missions to oversee human rights, the
media and elections. Members of the
coalition formed in February had
agreed on the commissions, but dead-
locked over their composition.
While Monday's agreement did not
touch on the most contentious issues,
it will be seen as an encouraging sign
of progress by those who argue that
Zimbabwe is best served by quiet if
slow diplomacy.
A list of media commissioners
released later included a former state
broadcaster as chairman and the edi-
tor of a banned independent newspa-
per as his deputy. Consultations were
still under way on the appointment of
heads of the Zimbabwe Electoral
Commission and Zimbabwe Human
Rights Commission.
Outstanding issues include dis-
agreements over the appointment of
provincial governors, the central bank
chief and attorney general; charges
from Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai's party that supporters of
President Robert Mugabe continue to
abuse human rights; and charges from
Mugabe's party that Tsvangirai's
group has done too little to persuade
the international community to lift
sanctions against Mugabe and his top
loyalists.
The treason trial of a top Tsvangirai
aide also has bedeviled a coalition
founded to rescue Zimbabwe from
economic and political crisis.
But James Maridadi, spokesman
for Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai, a longtime opposition
leader, was upbeat Monday. He said
the day's agreements came after
Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Arthur
Mutambara, leader of a party closely
allied to Tsvangirai's Movement for
Democratic Change, or MDC, met for
three hours Monday, and that the three
would meet again Wednesday to
resolve other issues.
Ephraim Masawi, a spokesman for
Mugabe's party, said his party was
responding to Zimbabwe's neighbors,
who have insisted "that we have to
work together with the MDC forma-
tions in the inclusive government. We
Chicago Defender • ChicagoDefender.com • December 23-29, 2009
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