South African President Jacob Zuma arrived in Zimbabwe on Tuesday for fresh talks aimed at easing tensions within the year-old unity government.
President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai both greeted him at the airport, in a rare joint appearance by the feuding leaders.
The rivals formed a unity government in February last year under stiff international pressure, aiming to end an economic freefall and curb deadly political violence after disputed presidential elections in 2008.
They have deadlocked over a slate of key appointments, including the central bank governor and the Attorney General, while Tsvangirai complains that his supporters remain the target of official persecution.
The unity government has staunched Zimbabwe’s economic haemorrhaging, but made little progress in drafting a new constitution that is meant to guide the country toward new elections.
Negotiators from both sides said the two leaders would meet with Zuma on Wednesday, after preliminary talks with his aides on Monday.
“The principles will meet tomorrow,” said Elton Mangoma, the economic planning minister and negotiator for Tsvangirai, on Tuesday.
“We have briefed the facilitation team on the outstanding issues, where progress has been made, and on issues which we have not yet discussed,” Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, Mugabe’s lead negotiator, said.
The 15-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) has tasked Zuma with mediating in Zimbabwe. Zuma has named a team of negotiators that has interacted with the rival parties since December, though little tangible progress has been made.
‘Greater understanding’
During Zuma’s trip the United Kingdom earlier this month, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown insisted that Zimbabwe must make more progress before sanctions can be lifted.
Zuma, speaking after talks with the British leader, said only that there had been a “greater understanding” from London of his country’s call for Zimbabwe sanctions to lifted.
Brown stressed that European Union sanctions in place against Zimbabwe, its former colony, “do not target Zimbabwe or Zimbabweans. They target individuals who are responsible for violence and a number of businesses linked to them.”
“We applaud the efforts that President Zuma is making to bring stability and change to Zimbabwe,” he said at a joint press conference after the talks at his Downing Street office.
“We, however, must be absolutely sure that progress is being made.”
Referring to the unity government between Mugabe and Tsvangirai, Brown added: “We must be moving from what is a unity but transitional government to free and fair elections.”
Britain has been a fierce critic of Mugabe and his inner circle, who are the targets of a European Union travel ban and other sanctions. — AFP