Tsvangirais spokesman, James Maridadi, said the Prime Minister was expected meet Mugabe on Monday for their weekly meeting and was expected to raise these issues once again. Yes its true the Prime Minister intends to raise these issues with the President in his meeting, Maridadi said. Two weeks ago, Tsvangirai told journalists in Harare that the three party principals had managed to iron out a number of outstanding issues but that the process was slow and frustrating.
Last month Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Mutambara finally agreed on most of the outstanding issues still facing the unity government. But these agreements have still not been implemented. There is also the remaining problem of the irregular appointments of Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono and Attorney General Johannes Tomana – issues which Mugabe has made clear he will not budge on. The agreements reached included the fact that Mugabe would retrench six provincial ZANU PF governors that he appointed. The Prime Minister said the new governors from the MDC would be sworn in at the soonest of opportunity.
Mugabe also agreed to swear in Roy Bennett, the national treasurer of the MDC and Tsvangirais nominee for the post of deputy agricultural minister. Bennett is likely to be sworn in at the same time with the governors. Our Harare correspondent, Simon Muchemwa told us the delay in implementing the GPA issues was now being felt by ordinary citizens. He said people were blaming the current shortages of cash on Mugabes reluctance to speed up the process.People are frustrated and they know aid will not come in unless there are visible reforms on the ground. There is an outcry that GPA delays are taking the country backwards, Muchemwa said.
Revamping the economy and persuading skeptical foreign donors and investors to help is the top priority for Tsvangirai. But none of this will be achievable until Mugabe shows he is genuinely prepared to relinquish power. – SW Radio Africa
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