Following the emergency summit of the Southern Africa Development Community Troika in Mozambique in November, it was announced that South African President, Jacob Zuma The second of these deadlines has expired without any sign that anything has been done towards resolving the contentious issues. According to the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), the main bone of contention is the failure by Zanu (PF) to honour the letter and spirit of the GPA with regard to the posts of attorney general and Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor.
The appointment of provincial governors and the non-implementation of media reforms are other flies in the ointment but the most fur has flown over the unilateral appointments by President Robert Mugabe of Johannes Tomana as attorney general and Gideon Gono to a second term as RBZ head.
These appointments have caused political tensions since the formation of the unity government that brought together President Mugabes Zanu (PF), the mainstream MDC led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and the smaller MDC-M wing led by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara.
The point to be made is that these disputed matters are clear-cut and what is at issue is known. Resolving them means tackling them in accordance with the terms of the GPA. It is against this background that, in our view, eyebrows have been raised at Zumas decision to send an evaluation team to Zimbabwe when everyone had been made to understand that he would step in to enforce compliance with he terms of the GPA.
Frustrated Zimbabweans can be excused for asking what is there to evaluate and what new perspective Zumas team consisting of ANC stalwarts Mac Maharaj, Charles Nqakula and Lindiwe Zulu can bring to a problem to which the solution, is already known. All that is needed is for Zuma to step up to the plate and insist that the right thing be done.
With all due respect to the South African leader, we fear that shying away from taking decisive action by sending a delegation instead will set off another round of futile quiet diplomacy between Pretoria and Harare similar to that which went on for a decade under ex-president Thabo Mbeki.
This self-limiting approach, which serves only to postpone the inevitable, suits Zanu (PF) just fine. The leaders of this party are past masters at resorting to time-buying and wasting tactics to extend their 30-year grip on power.
The best gift Zuma can give the people of Zimbabwe this festive season is to provide the sort of principled leadership that will end this impasse and move the process of restoring normalcy forward.
Post published in: Editor: Wilf Mbanga