/ 18 March 2010

Zuma: Zim leaders agree to ‘package of measures’

Jacob Zuma says Zimbabwe’s leaders have agreed to a “package of measures” to save the country’s increasingly fragile unity government, but gave no details of the deal.

Zuma told reporters in Harare at the end of his three-day mediation effort in Zimbabwe that he had had “fruitful discussions” with the leaders of Zimbabwe’s three main parties.

“I have had fruitful discussions with all the signatories to the GPA [global political agreement], their negotiating teams, leading Zimbabwean personalities and other key stakeholders. I am very encouraged by the spirit of cooperation displayed by the leaders and all the parties,” Zuma said in a prepared statement to reporters. He did not take questions from the press.

‘Package of measures’
According to Zuma, the “parties have agreed to a package of measures to be implemented concurrently as per the decision of the SADC troika in Maputo. I believe that the implementation of this package will take the process forward substantially.”

Negotiators would discuss all the outstanding issues and report to Zuma on March 31.

Zuma would then present “a comprehensive progress report” to the chairperson of the SADC troika, President Armando Guebuza of Mozambique.

Zuma arrived in Harare on Tuesday hoping to end bickering over the implementation of the year-old unity government, and to nudge the country’s leaders towards a fresh election. But no firm date was agreed on the polls as Zuma had hoped.

Sticking points
The tame outcome of Zuma’s first direct intervention in Zimbabwe would be a disappointment to many, who had hoped Zuma would infuse some urgency into efforts to kick-start the stalled reform process.

The MDC says President Robert Mugabe has reneged on the agreement by appointing allies t key positions without consulting Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai. Mugabe also seized power from MDC ministers and handed authority to his own ministers.

Zuma held meetings with attorney general Johannes Tomana and central bank head Gideon Gono, both of whose appointments by Mugabe are a sore point in the coalition. Zuma also met Roy Bennett, whose trial on treason charges has raised tensions.

Mugabe wants Tsvangirai to help lift sanctions imposed by the West on his loyalists.

The constant fighting has slowed down reforms, hurting hopes for a free and fair election as envisioned by the unity agreement signed last year.