Tuesday was the end of the 30 day deadline imposed by regional leaders on Zimbabwes unity government, to finally implement the Global Political Agreement (GPA), but still nothing has changed.The 30 day deadline was set at the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit in Namibia where the regional blocs defence body, the Troika, endorsed a report by the facilitator in the Zimbabwe crisis, South African President Jacob Zuma. Zumas report suggested that the coalition government be given another month to implement 24 outstanding issues in the GPA. In his report to the Troika Zuma said if the agreement on the 24 items was implemented on schedule, it would lay the basis for the conviction to grow that Zimbabwe can reach her goal of holding free and fair elections.
The parties, assisted by the Troika, should discuss the outstanding matters and resolve them within one month as part of a confidence-building measure, based on appropriate consultation in keeping with Zimbabwes law and any other relevant instrument, said Zuma in his report presented 30 days ago.
The coalition leaders apparently also agreed that the remaining three outstanding GPA issues, including the appointment of Roy Bennett to his position as Deputy Minister of Agriculture, would be ‘resolved’ in the month stipulated by SADC.
But 30 days on there are no signs that the SADC deadline has been taken seriously and divisions in the unity government have continued to widen. Robert Mugabe, who appeared to calmly agree to the 30 day deadline, just days later said he would not make any more “concessions” to the MDC, until targeted sanctions still in place against him and his inner circle are lifted. ZANU PF’s Patrick Chinamasa then insisted that the agreed-upon appointment of governors would not happen, until the targeted sanctions were lifted.
The MDC has vehemently denied that the sanction tie in was agreed to at the SADC Summit, saying in a statement that it was a “misleading and mischievous” report by the state media. The party also accused ZANU PF of using “primitive tactics” to delay the implementation of the GPA and further complicate issues in the divided coalition government.
The MDC also insisted that the targeted sanctions issue was between ZANU PF and the countries that have enforced the measures, saying that “the authorship of restrictive measures is located on the doorstep of ZANU PF.”
It is clear that both the MDC and ZANU PF are now focusing on elections to put an end to the coalition, with both party leaders, Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai agreeing to hold the polls next year. The Prime Minister said over the weekend that he and Mugabe had agreed not to contest the results of the vote, so that one party can be in government. Analysts and observers have since said this is a fools arrangement that puts the MDC in a difficult position of not legally being able to challenge the results if they are rigged by ZANU PF.
Dewa Mavhinga from the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition told SW Radio Africa on Tuesday that the only way forward is free, fair and credible elections, explaining that it is up to SADC to ensure that this happens. He said the regional bloc needs to do more to ensure that conditions are right in Zimbabwe for a free vote. He added that if the bloc cannot do this, it needs to admit defeat and ask for international intervention.
Without a direct role by SADC in the coming elections, and by this I mean peacekeepers and monitors, then the outcome will be no different from 2008, Mavhinga said. SADC urgently needs to do more to prevent this situation from recurring.
Wednesday meanwhile will mark two years since the GPA was signed in 2008. On Saturday Zimbabweans in London will commemorate this date by wearing black armbands, in a demonstration that will also mark the failure of the Mugabe regime to meet the 30 day deadline set by SADC. The demonstration is being organised by the UK protest group, The Zimbabwe Vigil, which has been demonstrating outside the Zimbabwean Embassy in London every Saturday for almost eight years.
The Vigils Rose Benton told SW Radio Africas Diaspora Diaries program that the anniversary of the signing of the GPA will be treated like a day of mourning, because it is another two years that nothing has changed in Zimbabwe. Benton explained that the Southern African region needs to end its dictators solidarity and show solidarity with Zimbabweans, by ensuring there are free and fair elections in Zimbabwe.
Post published in: Zimbabwe News