Troika team meets Mugabe, Tsvangirai today

The team from the three-member SADC organ, also known as the Troika, will also meet diplomats accredited to Zimbabwe and representatives of a committee drawn from the coalition partners Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (JOMIC) that was set up to monitor implementation of the global political agreement (GPA) that gave birth to countrys February unity government.

The SADC review mission comes after MDC-T leader Tsvangirai announced two weeks ago that his party would no longer attend Cabinet and was cutting all contact with Mugabe and his ZANU PF party until all outstanding issues to the GPA are resolved, plunging the unity government into its worst crisis since its formation in February.

The Troika mission to Harare, which is led by Mozambiques Foreign Affairs Minister Oldemiro Baloi, includes Zambian Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Fashion Phiri and Swazi Foreign Affairs Minister Lutho Dhlamini.

SADC executive secretary Tomaz Salamao and South African facilitators to the dialogue that led to the formation of the inclusive government, Frank Chikane and Monjaku Gumbi, are also part of the review team.

Salamao told reporters on Thursday that the issue of the MDC-Ts partial disengagement from the unity government will also be looked into.

On Thursday, the delegation met with Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara at his Munhumutapa offices after initially meeting with Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi.

The team also met with members of the MDC-T and ZANU PF.

ZANU PF accuses the MDC of reneging on a promise to push for the removal of travel bans and an asset freeze slapped by the West on its senior officials.

“We put into perspective the fact that the bigger and substantive outstanding issues that have undermined the inclusive government and economic recovery and threatened political stability were sanctions and the failure by the MDC-T to call for their removal,” Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa and ZANU PF representative said after the meeting.

“Our disappointment is that contrary to their obligations under the GPA, MDC-T has not called for the lifting of sanctions. They have not approached their friends to lift these sanctions. It is a big disappointment and runs against the spirit of the GPA,” Chinamasa said.

Chinamasa who is Mugabes chief negotiator said: “We also raised concern over the sponsorship by Western governments of parallel structures within the Prime Ministers Office outside government structures,” added Chinamasa.

He said MDC-T “disengagement” from the inclusive government had come as a “complete surprise” to other partners in the inclusive government and went contrary to what was happening all along.

“I believe the way forward would be to bring any issues to the negotiating table not only now, but perpetually. Dialogue should continue and that is how you resolve differences not through boycotts.

“We do not think the inclusive government will collapse. The co-operation that we have enjoyed has brought about peace, tranquillity and political stability in our country,” Chinamasa said.

MDC-T secretary general and Finance Minister Tendai Biti told reporters that they had briefed the Troika on outstanding issues.

“We made our presentations on issues of concern outstanding issues around the GPA. The Troika is going to consult other people and tomorrow (today) we are going to meet again. The fact that they are here shows that they have not ignored the crisis,” he said.

Biti said he was confident the AU and SADC would resolve the misunderstandings.

The Troika delegation is scheduled to issue its final assessment report later in the evening, before leaving Harare tomorrow (Saturday).

The SADC that brokered the power-sharing agreement between the Zimbabwean political leaders tasked its security organ to monitor the GPA.

Mugabe, Zimbabwes sole ruler since the countrys independence from Britain in 1980 and former opposition leader Tsvangirai remain deadlocked over key appointments while the MDC also accuses ZANU PF of engaging in a campaign to persecute its supporters.

At least 17 MDC legislators have been arrested since the beginning of the year on charges ranging from theft and public violence to rape and playing music that denigrates Mugabe.

Tsvangirai and Mugabe met on Monday but failed to reach agreement on the power-sharing dispute threatening the shaky coalition government.

The MDC has said in the event that the Troika failed to move the process end the wrangle threatening to collapse the coalition SADC should convene a full summit to discuss the Zimbabwe crisis.