Zuma to caution Mugabe
http://www.financialgazette.co.zw
Friday, 09 March 2012 11:33
Clemence Manyukwe, Political Editor
SOUTH African President Jacob Zuma is expected to caution President Robert
Mugabe against holding elections before the full implementation of reforms
contained in the Global Political Agreement (GPA) during his visit to the
country next week in an attempt to push the stubborn governing parties to
move towards undisputed polls.
Pretoria has incr-easingly been asserting itself in its facilitation since
March last year when the South African leader dum-ped quiet diplomacy
espoused by his predecessor, Thabo Mbeki in attempts to nudge ZANU-PF and
the Mov-ement for Democratic Change (MDC) formations to put closure to the
country’s political and economic crisis.
South Africa’s toughness, according to diplomatic sources, is both a result
of external and internal dynamics.
Internally, South Africa has been straining its economy by sheltering
Zimbabweans seeking greener pastures in Africa’s largest economy. It is
estimated that over 1,5 million Zimbabweans now reside across the Limpopo
River.
Pretoria is also under pressure from the Southern African Develop-ment
Community (SADC), the Afric-an Union (AU) and the international community to
end the political bickering in Zimbabwe, which has come at a huge cost for
the country’s citizens.
South Africa’s megaphone diplomacy has, however, not gone down well with
ZANU-PF, which has threatened to replace Zuma.
President Mugabe last month said his party, which is pressing for
make-or-break elections this year with or without a new constitution can
reject the African National Congress leader in daylight.
ZANU-PF leaders have also publicly derided a member of Zuma’s facilitation
team, Lindiwe Zulu, who also acts as the team’s spokesperson for utterances
expressing opposition to early polls.
Diplomatic sources said Zuma would caution President Mugabe during his visit
over rushing for polls without the requisite reforms as well as seeking
clarification regarding certain unsavoury statements attributed to the
veteran ZANU-PF leader and his spin-doctors.
The two formations of the MDC blame President Mugabe and his ZANU-PF for the
stalemate in the coalition government, accusing them of making unilateral
decisions and appointments in violation of the GPA.
This week, Zulu was circumspect when asked about Zuma’s expected visit next
week.
“I can’t say the exact date that he will come or pre-empt what he would say
to the principals. All I can say is that the principals would discuss the
GPA and the election roadmap,” said Zulu.
The GPA and the election roadmap stipulate measures such as media and
electoral reforms that the South Africans have been insisting on in recent
months as a precursor to fresh voting.
Zulu insisted that the South African President still holds the view that
election talk without the necessary reforms was counter-productive.
Zuma last week visited Namibia and Botswana. Diplomatic sources said during
his visit, Zuma sought advice from the leaders of these respective countries
on how he should proceed with the nagging Zimbabwe crisis.
On Monday, South Africa’s Forei-gn Minister, Maite Nkoana-Mashab-ane
appeared to set the tone for Zuma’s engagement with the GPA principals.
“The GPA envisages that an election in Zimbabwe will only be held following
the finalisation of the constitution-making process,” Nkoana-Mashabane said
in South Africa’s Parliament.
The South African Foreign Affairs Minister’s statement marks a break with
pronouncements by her predecessors who embraced a gentler tone when dealing
with Zimbabwe.
In August last year, South African Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Vusa Mavhimbela
also dumped the diplomatic etiquettes displayed by previous envoys from the
neighbouring country when he raised his government’s concerns over the
indigenisation and economic empowerment policy and farm invasions, which he
said are being carried out on land belonging to South African white farmers
in Zimbabwe.
Mavhimbela also said some of the government’s measures appeared not to be
respecting the Bilateral Investment Protection Agreement (BIPPA) Zimbabwe
signed with its neighbour.
ZANU-PF spin-doctors, among them politburo member Jonathan Moyo, have
reacted angrily to Nkoana-Mashabane’s remarks.
The party’s spokesperson, Rugare Gumbo, this week reacted angrily to news
from South Africa. He said Zuma and not the South African government was the
facilitator and it is important to differentiate between a country’s foreign
policy and mediation.
He said the country would hold polls only after the constitution-making
process, but this year.
Gumbo brushed off demands of other GPA reform requirements saying the
removal of sanctions was one of the key issues but it has not been attended
to.
“ZEC (the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) has said it is ready for elections.
The key issue in the GPA is the removal of sanctions, but no-one is talking
about it,” said Gumbo.
Analysts this week ruled out the prospect of ZANU-PF going it alone without
SADC and South Africa’s mediation.
Political commentator, Ricky Mukonza, said the party risked alienating
itself from its support base in Africa and Asia.
“I don’t think President Mugabe can risk going against the SADC position as
this will result in him losing support not only in the region but also on
the continent,” he said.
Edwin Mushoriwa, the vice president of the MDC formation led by Welshman
Ncube, said they would insist on Zuma to continue with his stance when he
meets the ZANU-PF leader.
“What we want to insist on is that the roadmap is implemented before the
elections. We want President Zuma and SADC to ensure that the signposts and
milestones in the election roadmap are attained before polls,” said
Mushoriwa.
Last week, the premier during an investment promotion junket in South
Africa, said elections in Zimbabwe would only be held after key reforms have
been implemented.
He also criticised the decision by the Minister of Youth, Indigenisation and
Empowerment Saviour Kasuku-were to give Zimplats, which is owned by South
African investors two weeks to reduce its shareholding despite the existence
of a BIPPA with the neighbouring country.
He appealed for the support of SADC and the AU, as the guarantors of the
GPA, to assist in the holding of a violence-free election.
“The date for the next election in Zimbabwe is process-driven.Only after we
complete the constitution-making process and implement the key political,
electoral and med-ia reforms as agreed under the facilitation of SADC will
the President and I sit down and agree on the date for the next election,”
said the premier.
“That is what we agreed at the inception of this inclusive government and
only after the implementation of these reforms can we have a free, fair and
credible election that does not produce another contested outcome. Only a
free and fair election will lead to a credible and legitimate government
with a coherent policy that can guarantee policy consistency and policy
predictability.”