“We are aware that the Zimbabwean problem is an ongoing problem,” said Tsvangirai’s spokesman George Sibotshiwe on Monday. “Therefore our president needs to continue to engage regional leaders to continue to assist us in resolving our crisis back home . . . He is touring southern Africa this week.
The Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) summit in Johannesburg failed to resolve a deadlock between Tsvangirai and Zimbabwe’s 84-year old President Robert Mugabe over how to share power in new all-inclusive government following controversial polls in March and June.
Mugabe’s ruling ZANU PF party, Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party and a breakaway faction of the opposition led by Arthur Mutambara – have been locked in negotiations for a power sharing deal that would see them forming a government of national unity that analysts say is the best way to end the country’s long-running political crisis.
The crisis worsened after Mugabe was re-elected unopposed in a widely condemned June 27 presidential run-off vote that Tsvangirai boycotted because of state orchestrated violence against his supporters.
The run-off election was held because Tsvangirai defeated Mugabe in the first round voting on March 29 but failed to secure the margin required to takeover power.
South African President Thabo Mbeki, who assumed the SADC chairmanship at the weekend summit and is also the region’s mediator in the Zimbabwe crisis, is under immense pressure to secure a deal and has come under repeated fire for not being tough on Mugabe while Zimbabwe’s hardships continue to worsen.
Power-sharing talks are said to have hit deadlock over who between Tsvangirai and Mugabe would wield real power in the proposed unity government.
Diplomats said on Saturday leaders of the 14-nation SADC bloc had discussed a draft agreement in a closed session of the summit with both Mugabe and Tsvangirai in attendance.
In his closing speech of the SADC summit on Sunday Mbeki said talks in search of a speedy resolution to the country’s crippling political crisis would continue under the facilitation of the regional organ on defence and security, adding that “a speedy conclusion (needs to be reached) so that it indeed becomes possible to address the enormous challenges that face the masses of the people of Zimbabwe”. – ZimOnline