Zimbabwe’s ruling party Wednesday rejected an opposition call for ex-South African president Thabo Mbeki to intervene to salvage a power-sharing deal after the two sides failed to agree on a cabinet.
Mbeki, whose party last week forced him to resign in a separate power struggle, mediated the deal between President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai to form a unity government.
The agreement signed on September 15 had been hailed as a breakthrough in Zimbabwe’s political crisis, sparked after Mugabe lost a first round of elections in March.
Negotiations have bogged down on forming a cabinet, with Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) claiming that Mugabe wants to retain key posts — believed to be the defence, home affairs, state security and finance ministries.
After Mugabe and Tsvangirai failed to resolve their differences during a meeting Tuesday, the MDC called on Mbeki and the regional bloc SADC to resume their mediation to break through the logjam.
But the chief negotiator for Mugabe’s ruling ZANU-PF party denied any deadlock, saying no outside mediation was needed.
“Anyone who says there is a deadlock is being mischievous. There is commitment on all of us to make things work,” Patrick Chinamasa told AFP.
“If there was a disagreement as is being suggested, I don’t think it’s one that would justify calling in the facilitator,” Chinamasa said.
“If there are any issues, I believe they can resolve them among themselves,” he added.
MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said the party had already contacted the 15-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC), which has appointed Mbeki as its mediator.
“This is an urgent matter, communication lines to SADC have been activated,” Chamisa told AFP.
Mbeki’s forced resignation as South Africa’s president last week raised concerns about the fragile pact he had brokered to divide powers between Mugabe as president and Tsvangirai in the new post of prime minister.
Mugabe said Monday that a new government would be formed by the end of the week, but that now appears a dim prospect.
SADC spokesman Charles Mubita on Wednesday said the group had not been contacted about the stand-off but said Mbeki was the “only channel” for handling Zimbabwe’s crisis.
“If there is anything that needs to be discussed with Zimbabwe, there are channels, and the only channel is through the facilitator,” he told AFP.
“They will then have to get in touch with the SADC mediator, which is former president Thabo Mbeki.” Mbeki’s spokesman Mukoni Ratshitanga said SADC would have to “formally pronounce” whether the former president would continue as mediator.
However he added: “President Mbeki will participate in any process that is aimed at taking the African continent a step forward.” Mugabe, Tsvangirai and MDC splinter group leader Arthur Mutambara agreed on September 15 to a landmark power-sharing agreement.
The deal brokered by Mbeki was heralded as a historic initiative to resolve Zimbabwe’s political deadlock and economic melt-down.
Once one of Africa’s most prosperous countries, Zimbabwe now suffers the world’s highest rate of inflation, last estimated at 11.2 million percent, leaving 80 percent of the population living in poverty.
