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MDC scoffs at SA's verdict on talks
Cuthbert Nzou, ZimOnline
February 07, 2008

http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=2674

HARARE – Zimbabwe’s opposition on Wednesday said the country’s political crisis was far from over and described as dishonest claims by South Africa that negotiations between the opposition and President Robert Mugabe’s ruling ZANU PF party were no longer necessary.

Tendai Biti, secretary general of the main faction of the divided opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, said a statement by South African deputy foreign affairs minister Aziz Pahad that the Zimbabwean dialogue was concluded and that only procedural matters remained to be sorted out was unfortunate.

South Africa’s President Thabo Mbeki was facilitating talks between ZANU PF and the MDC with the backing of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

"If he (Pahad) said that, I am shocked," Biti said. "He is aware that the parties to the talks have not signed an agreement. He is aware that we reached a deadlock on the timing of the elections and he is also aware that there is no agreement on the need for a new constitution before the harmonised elections."

Biti said his party had in fact written to SADC to formally inform the regional bloc that talks with ZANU PF had collapsed. The body that has been pushing for a lasting solution to Zimbabwe’s political and economic crisis is yet to respond to the MDC.

A key objective of talks was to ensure Zimbabwe’s council, parliamentary and presidential elections next month are truly free and fair. The talks hit deadlock after Mugabe refused to implement a draft constitution agreed by negotiators and which the MDC believed would guarantee fair polls.

Pahad earlier this week told journalists in Pretoria that negotiations were no longer necessary in Zimbabwe because the MDC and ZANU PF had "agreed to everything."

He said Mbeki would continue his mediation role but said this was really only to help the Zimbabweans tie up the remaining procedural matters because all substantive issues had been concluded.

Mbeki is also reported to have told SADC leaders on the sidelines of the African Union summit in Ethiopia last week that agreement had been reached on all substantive matters pertaining Zimbabwe’s political crisis.

However, Biti said Zimbabwe remained in political crisis, adding that MDC supporters continued to be subjected to politically motivated violence contrary to the spirit of the dialogue.

He said: "The Zimbabwe question still remains. There is a crisis in Zimbabwe of governance and leadership . . . we are also concerned about the deteriorating political environment where our members and supporters are daily assaulted and tortured."

ZANU PF chief representative to the talks Patrick Chinamasa was not immediately available for comment on the matter. Welshman Ncube, secretary general of the other faction of the MDC was also not available.

Zimbabwe is in the grip of a severe economic recession – blamed on repression and wrong policies by Mugabe – and seen in hyperinflation, a rapidly contracting GDP, the fastest for a country not at war according to the World Bank and shortages of every essential commodity.

Analysts say free and fair polls in March are a prerequisite to any plans to resuscitate the southern African country’s once brilliant economy. – ZimOnline

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