Mediation talks two months behind schedule

re now two months behind schedule, painful progress was being made.
“Given the public commitments of Mbeki to the process I think we can now expect some sort of an agreement to emerge eventually. The slowness of the talks suggests that progress is being made much to the chagrin of the Zanu (PF) team,” Cross said.
But analysts insist there is nothing to show the talks have made any progress. Solomon Chikohwero, an MDC activist based in Johannesburg, voiced his concern at the lack of any updates from the Southern African Development Community led talks.
‘While our top officials having been saying they have trust in the Mbeki talks, most grassroots members are of the opinion that nothing will come out of the talks. The secrecy surrounding the talks makes it hard to believe there is anything happening at all,’ Chikohwero said.
Mbeki expressed confidence on Saturday that next year’s general elections would be free and fair, despite fears to the contrary.
Zanu (PF) delegates, Patrick Chinamasa and Nicholas Goche, and the MDC team of Welshman Ncube and Tendai Biti are believed to have met for further talks under the chairmanship of Mbeki’s mediation team led by Local Government minister Sydney Mufamadi.
A source said the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, which was left out of the original consolidated agenda, was back on the table. It will be debated together with the Public Order and Security Act, as well as broadcasting laws. – Tichaona Sibanda, SW Radio Africa