Deal expected as Zimbabwe begins talks on unity government

Senior negotiators from Zimbabwe’s main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and the ruling ZANU-PF party began talks yesterday and a report indicated they were close to reaching a deal on forming a unity government.

The talks were underway yesterday, South African President Thabo Mbeki’s spokesman, Mukoni Ratshitanga, said.

Senior MDC officials and two Zimbabwean cabinet ministers were leading the rival negotiating teams, meeting at an undisclosed venue around the South African capital Pretoria.

Preliminary talks began on Tuesday after Mbeki secured a framework deal between President Robert Mugabe and MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai for talks to end the deadlock over Mugabe’s re-election on June 27 in a poll boycotted by the opposition because of violence.

Ratshitanga said even if negotiators missed a two-week deadline set under the framework agreement, it did not mean the end of talks.

The main aim of the Pretoria talks will be the creation of a government of national unity, but the two sides differ on who should lead it and how long it should stay in power.

South African newspaper Business Day reported yesterday that both sides are close to reaching a deal but still need to iron out details. The paper said a final settlement can be reached soon, as the sides had agreed on many issues: “They have agreed on most of the issues, except mainly the framework for a new government. The deal is basically done, but what remains are a few issues of detail, implementation and logistics.”

Zimbabwean political analyst Eldred Masunungure said a breakthrough was possible as the rival parties had been talking under mediation led by the South African president since March last year.

“A breakthrough is a reasonable possibility, even in two weeks.

“This is essentially the second phase of the SADC-mediated process, the first phase having started in March 2007,” Masunungure said.

Mbeki was appointed by regional grouping the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to mediate between the Zimbabwean parties. He had been increasingly criticised, especially by the MDC, which accused him of taking too soft a line with Mugabe.

As part of the framework deal, the rival parties agreed to a media blackout but Zimbabwe’s state-owned Herald newspaper reported MDC and ZANU-PF’s negotiators flew to South Africa on the same flight on Wednesday.