Zimbabwe: Rival factions agree unity gov't

  1. Posted on Tuesday 27 January 2009 - 09:50
    Sam Banda Junior
    Image of Sam Banda Junior
    Sam Banda Junior, AfricaNews reporter in Blantyre, Malawi Photo: Vusumuzi Sifile. When first power-sharing deal was brokered in Sept. 2008
    Zimbabwe's rival factions - President Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai - have finally agreed to form a unity government latest next month, disclosed South Africa President Kgalema Motlanthe. Under the timetable Tsvangirai would hopefully be sworn into office as Prime Minister February 11.
    Zimbabwe_signing_Vusumuzi Sifile
    The Southern African Development Community (SADC) brokered the new deal at a meeting in South Africa on Monday. The meeting - second to take place in the country - attracted 15-member SADC countries and lasted for over 14 hours.

    Despite the agreement which also said President Mugabe and Tsvangirai should share the key ministries which has been the centre of the deadlock, the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said it is not satisfied.

    But Motlanthe, who chaired the meeting, told the media they have agreed for a new unity government and that all ministers should be sworn in by February 13. He further said MDC has agreed with the arrangement and that everything was going ahead.

    “All the parties have agreed with the arrangement and the implementation will take place,” said Motlanthe who is also the current SADC chair.

    But in a statement MDC said it was ashamed with the results of the meeting adding that they were set to meet this weekend. MDC also said the outcome of Monday’s meeting would end up dragging the power sharing deal which was brokered in September by former South African president Thabo Mbeki.

    Zimbabweans have waited patiently for the power sharing deal which has dragged for sometime forcing others to flee the country in search of a better life in neighbouring South Africa.

    The SA meeting comes barely two weeks after another meeting in Harare failed to come up with results in which Tsvangirai said no progress was made on what he called the "darkest day of our lives".

    Zimbabwe the once mighty country of Africa is battling with a skyrocketing inflation rate and cholera outbreak. The latest World Health Organization (WHO) statistics said cholera has killed 2,773 people out of 50,000 cases in the southern African nation.

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