The tough-talking Motlanthe was speaking at the opening of an extraordinary summit meeting of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), convened to discuss the war in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the stalled talks between Mugabe and Tsvangirai on forming a unity government.
Disagreement over the allocation of ministries, especially over control of the important ministry of home affairs, has prevented the two Zimbabwean parties from forming a national unity government as agreed in the September 15 power-sharing deal brokered by former president Thabo Mbeki.
Both parties want Home Affairs because it controls Zimbabwe’s police and intelligence services.
As Motlanthe, who chaired the summit, and other regional leaders, including Mbeki, were trying to convince Mugabe and Tsvangirai to find common ground, MDC and Zanu-PF supporters were pelting each other with stones outside the convention centre.
About 500 MDC supporters gathered outside the venue early yesterday morning to demand Mugabe’s removal from power.
Things began to heat up with the arrival of about 50 Zanu-PF supporters singing pro-Mugabe songs.
The two groups, who stood on opposite sides of the street, taunted each other with slogans and traded insults.
Chaos broke out shortly after a police officer spotted a Zanu-PF supporter with a brick in hand.
When the police officer forced the man to throw the brick into a nearby bin, MDC die-hards on the other side of the road began throwing stones at their rivals.
Stones were flying in both directions as onlookers and journalists scrambled for cover.
The outnumbered Zanu-PF loyalists fled and police pushed back the MDC group.
No arrests or injuries were reported.
Inside the convention centre, SADC leaders were trying hard to resolve the impasse that has left Zimbabwe without a functioning cabinet for almost five months.
Opening the summit, Motlanthe told the 14 regional heads of state and delegates of his disappointment at Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara (who leads a smaller MDC faction) for failing to form a new cabinet in line with the Mbeki-brokered power-sharing deal.
The historic power-sharing agreement signed on September 15 remains the only vehicle to help extricate Zimbabwe from her socio-economic challenges. said Motlanthe.
It is, however, disappointing that, two months since the signing of the agreement, the parties have not been able to conclude the discussions on the formation of an inclusive government.
Motlanthe urged the three politicians to reach agreement.
The political leadership in Zimbabwe owes it to the people of Zimbabwe, and the region, to show political maturity by putting the interest of Zimbabwe first, he said.
After being locked in deliberations since early afternoon, Mugabe exited the conference hall during a break late last night, saying: Yes, there is progress. Yes, there is good progress.
At one stage, Motlanthe was locked in a one-on-one meeting with SADC executive secretary Tomas Salamao to assess developments at the talks.
A Mugabe supporter who had been part of the Zanu-PF protest group, Jethro Moyo, said he had come to the venue to support my president and urge him not to succumb to MDC demands.
I went to school for free because of Mugabe. I support him 100 percent.
They want Mugabe to step down, but Tsvangirai can’t just come and take Zimbabwe … we fought for this country. They [the MDC] will not get the department of home affairs, neither Defence  that belongs to the Zanu-PF, Moyo said.
Remember Moyo, 40, vice chairman of the MDC Veterans’ Activist Association, said he was tired of the stalemate over the power- sharing deal.
We want to go back to Zimbabwe and if the SADC is unable to solve this problem the MDC must take this to the United Nations.
Moyo, wearing an ANC cap and a red shirt on which was written Mugabe must go, accused the SADC’s leaders of protecting Mugabe. – The Times
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