President Mbeki, the proud SADC-appointed mediator, said the agreement was the message Zimbabweans have been waiting for.
The AU Chairman, President Jakaya Kikwete, described the accord as the beginning of the end of the dark shadow that caused immense pain and suffering to the people of Zimbabwe.
The excitement and optimism over the breakthrough in Zimbabwe’s political impasse, which was announced by Mr Mbeki on Thursday last week, was vivid among the parties to the agreement and the witnesses.
Eight of the 14 SADC heads of state and government attended the ceremony to demonstrate their endorsement. The other leaders in attendance were King Mswati III of Swaziland, Presidents Ian Khama of Botswana, Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Armando Guebuza of Mozambique, Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia, Zambia’s Acting President Rupiah Banda and Lesotho Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili.
The agreement The 30-page document providing the framework for resolution of the economic and political challenges facing Zimbabwe comprehensively covers all areas responsible for political polarization, the fall in living standards and economic decay.
Economic restoration is high on the agenda. Article III commits the parties to work together on a full and comprehensive economic programme to resuscitate Zimbabwe’s economy, which will urgently address the issues of production, food security, poverty and unemployment and the challenges of high inflation, interest rates and the exchange rate.
A National Economic Council comprising representatives from the manufacturing, agriculture, mining, tourism, commerce, financial, labour sectors and the academia would be established to advise the government on formulation of economic plans and programmes.
The parties acknowledge the negative impact of international isolation of Zimbabwe and denial of lines of credit in the last decade and calls in Article IV for the lifting of all forms of measures of sanctions to support a new drive to raise the standard of living. The new government would re-engage the international community to end Zimbabwe’s isolation.
Land question The agreement provides in Article V that the compulsory acquisition and redistribution of land under the land reform programme launched in 2000 is irreversible, but introduces measures to ensure holders use land productively and reaffirm women’s access and control over land as equal citizens.
A comprehensive land audit would be carried out in the next five years to check multiple farm ownerships.
Future land allocation will be transparent without discrimination based on race, ethnicity or political affiliation.
Land holders would have security of tenure guaranteed and the new government would ask Britain to accept responsibility to compensate former owners whose land was acquired under the reform programme as provided for in the Lancaster House Agreement. Britain has reneged on that commitment.
New constitution A parliamentary Select Committee would be formed to draft a new constitution after public hearings and consultation with all stakeholders, which would be put to a national referendum and introduced in parliament within the next 18 months.
The agreement also commits the parties to equal treatment of the citizenry, correction of historical imbalances in the development of regions and promotion of tolerance and respect among Zimbabweans to bring about national healing and cohesion.
Measures would be taken to entice Zimbabweans in the Diaspora, especially skilled personnel, to return home.
There are also clauses requiring the police, army and other state organs to operate ethically and professionally in support of the multiparty democratic system. President Mugabe was accused of using the uniformed forces and the intelligence to intimidate political opponents.
His ZANU-PF party allegedly used the traditional chiefs to canvas for votes in the areas. The agreement prohibits the traditional leaders from engaging in partisan political activities in their communities or at national level.
In reference to the Mugabe government’s restriction of distribution of humanitarian and food assistance in the run up to elections, the agreement has listed humanitarian and food assistance as a right to all Zimbabweans and provides for unfettered operation of Non-Governmental Organisations.
The opposition’s claims that election violence displaced hundreds of thousands of its supporters are mentioned in the agreement.
Article XVIII renounces promotion and use of violence and commits the parties to ensure the safety of any displaced persons, their safety return home and their enjoyment of the full protection of the law.
Opening air waves The agreement notes that although the law allows licensing of private broadcasters, only the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation has been licensed so far and commits the parties to ensure the opening up of the air waves and ensuring the operation of as many media houses as possible.
This would neutralize hostile external radio stations that have been broadcasting into Zimbabwe.
The public media would be required to provide balanced coverage to activities of all political parties while the new government would ensure no medium uses abusive language against or incites hostility among political parties.
The new government President Mugabe remains the Comander-in- Chief of the armed forces.
He will formally appoint the two Vice-Presidents from ZANU-PF, Prime Minister, Two Deputy Prime Ministers, 31 Ministers and 15 Deputy Ministers constituting the new government and will chair Cabinet. Morgan Tsvangirai will be the Prime Minister, who will chair the Council of Ministers comprising all Cabinet ministers responsible for implementation of Cabinet decisions. He deputizes the President in chairing Cabinet.
Arthur Mutambara will be one of the two Deputy Prime Ministers with the second coming from Tsvangirai’s MDC formation, which will also nominate 13 ministers and six deputy ministers.
ZANU-PF will nominate 15 ministers and eight deputy ministers while Mutambara’s faction will nominate three ministers and one deputy minister.
The allocation of ministries is as yet unknown but attention is focused on who will retain the central ministries for finance, industry and trade, foreign affairs and home affairs, which would determine the new government’s international acceptance and its ability to win the confidence of development partners.
Hard work ahead Parties to the transitional inclusive government admit that signing of the agreement is the beginning of the hard work of implementing it.
Prof. Mutambara contends that the first hurdle is transforming the antagonism and divisions between them and Mugabe into amicable working environment.
There are painful decisions to be made by all parties and national healing should take place from the top to village level. President Mugabe and Prime Minister Tsvangirai should walk the talk. We must deliver on the promise of the agreement, he urges.
Mr Tsvangirai also realizes that it would be difficult to implement the agreement if they did not bury the hatchet. We should turn our swords into plough shares, our enmity into friendship, he said.
He, however, cautions that the agreement does not present instant cure to the country’s problems.
The objective is to create environment for all Zimbabweans to contribute to the solution and introduce a new way of governing committed to service and responsive to the people’s needs.
President Mugabe also believes there is more to unite than divide them and has declared that they will rest mediator Thabo Mbeki for a good while.
We have to walk (with Tsvangirai and Mutambara) and walk the same route. In fact we have been walking the same route without knowing, without recognizing each other, he maintains.
President Kikwete and President Mbeki have expressed optimism on behalf of the AU and SADC that the signatories to the agreement have the will and capability to implement it.
The world shares that optimism and there is an implementation mechanism agreed to providing for a Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee.
The coming weeks and months will indicate whether the agreement is worth the ink it is written with. The ball is in the court of Mugabe, Tsvangirai, Mutambara, ZANUPF, MDC and the people of Zimbabwe.
Post published in: News