According to the SADC Secretary-General, Dr. Tomaz Salomaoa, Mbeki was tasked to mediate in the Zimbabwe crisis by virtue of being head of state of South Africa, but he was quick to defend that it was imperative to assign an individual whom the regional grouping feels would deliver the intended results towards searching for a lasting peaceful solution to the power-sharing deal in Zimbabwe.Â
Dr. Salomaoa also emphasized that the 14-member regional grouping also took into consideration that changing of mediators would otherwise jeopardise the otherwise smoothly moving talks in Zimbabwe hence retaining former South African president Mbeki.Â
After the power-sharing deal has been put on pen to paper on September 15, 2008, fresh disagreements over cabinet sharing-posts emerged with the two main political rival parties of the ruling Zanu PF and opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) emerged and sharply differed over allocation of the four key cabinet posts that includes the ministries of Home Affairs, Finance, Foreign Affairs, Lands and Agriculture respectively.
Dr. Salomaoa, said SADC had been in contact with both the ANC leadership and its chief mediator to ensure that the achievements made so far by Mr. Mbeki would not be put to waste as the region continues to seek for a lasting solution in Zimbabwe.
“Though Mr. Mbeki is no longer head of state, as SADC region, we have faith in him, and strongly believe he is the right man to continue searching for some long lasting solutions to the Zimbabwe challenges.
 “The search for power-sharing solution to Zimbabwe is a difficult position that needs articulation from both ANC and the SADC region, of which the two parties (ANC and SADC) have agreed to continue supporting the initiative to the Zimbabwe crisis,” said Dr. Salomaoa.Â
Echoing same sentiments was Mbeki’s spokesperson, Mukoni Ratshitanga, who told CAJ News over the phone on Saturday that the former South Africa head of state would resume his mediation process shortly.
“Yes, Mr. Mbeki would resume his mediation process to the power-sharing deal any moment. But I have a problem with some journalists (people), who always put much emphasis over the issue of going to Harare or Pretoria for mediation, yet Mr. Mbeki could safely pick up the phone and talk to both President Mugabe and Mr. Tsvangirai Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.
“The process of facilitation does not only involve traveling either to Harare, or, Pretoria, but it also requires instituting communication between the parties involved in the power-sharing talks by telephone,” said Ratshitanga.
The Zimbabwe power-sharing deal went on deadlock on Tuesday when President Mugabe’s Zanu PF and Tsvangirai’s MDC failed to agree on the ruling party grabbing all important cabinet posts arguing that the latest development was going against the idea of a 50-50 percent power-sharing.
To date, Zimbabwe is experiencing acute food shortages, the worst ever inflation in the world reaching 11 200 000 percent coupled with chronic diseases and severe shortage of foreign currency.
-CAJ News.
By Oridirile Toteng in Gaborone, Botswana / Savious Kwinika in Johannesburg, SA
Post published in: News