Agreement
reached and Endorsed in August.
Negotiations
between the three parties to the GPA
[the interparty political agreement commonly known as the Global
Political Agreement], facilitated by a team appointed by President
Zuma, reached agreement on 24 issues that had been the subject
of disputes and delays in the implementation of the GPA. In early
August the three party principal endorsed and formalised the agreement.
An implementation
matrix was also endorsed and was presented as part of the
report to President Zuma, who took it to the SADC
Troika and Summit, 15th – 17h August. It was approved
by the Zimbabwe Cabinet on 24th August. [The matrix was set out
in full in Bill Watch 33 of 30th August].
Implementation
Matrix: Not Much Movement
The implementation
matrix envisaged some issues being tackled immediately; others
within a month or two months; and a few continuously or on a periodic
basis. From the time it was approved by Cabinet progress has been
disappointing and no official announcements have been made to
explain the lack of action. The three party principals have not
met for several weeks [the President has been to the United Nations
and Deputy Prime Minister Mutambara was in China for some three
weeks]. When next the principals meet it is to be hoped that they
will do something to get the implementation process moving.
Below we attempt
an assessment of progress, if any, on implementation of those
issues listed for implementation immediately or within one month,
grouping the issues according to time-frame.
Items
for Immediate Implementation
Summary: Of
the ten items under this head, there has been half-hearted implementation
of only one item. The others remain unimplemented.
[Note –
the numbers follow the numbering of the items in the implementation
matrix.]
10. Cabinet
and Council of Ministers’ Rules, Guidelines and Procedures
Cabinet Office
to circularise the Rules, Guidelines and Procedures as agreed
by the negotiators and endorsed by the leadership of the inclusive
government. Not done.
12. Transport
Arrangements for Principals
Office of
the President and Cabinet, Department of National Security, to
rectify administrative arrangements for the Prime Minister’s
fleet. Not done.
13. Security
Aides for the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers
Minister of
State for National Security in the President’s Office to
speed up the process of vetting, training and engagement of security
personnel for Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers. Not completed.
17. Constitutional
Commissions
Minister of
Justice and Legal Affairs, Parliamentary Standing Rules and Orders
Committee and the party principals to expedite the regularisation
of the Human Rights Commission and ensure the appointment of a
new Anti-Corruption Commission. Not done. The Parliamentary Standing
Rules and Orders Committee is expected to meet next week; its
input is required regarding members of both Commissions.
19. Role and
Position of the Permanent Secretary for Media, Information and
Publicity who is also the presidential spokesperson
Chairman of
the Public Service Commission and Chief Secretary to the President
and Cabinet to ensure that the Permanent Secretary is apolitical.
Not done.
20. Constitutional
Amendment No. 19
Minister of
Justice and Legal Affairs to arrange that the full text of Constitutional
Amendment No. 19 as approved by Parliament should be gazetted
and signed. Not done satisfactorily. A revised version of Constitution
Amendment No. 19 was gazetted on 3rd September 2010 by direction
of the Law Reviser. The revised version still fails to reflect
everything that was in the Bill for Constitution Amendment No.
19 which was approved by Parliament. See Bill
Watch 35/2010 of 4th September.
21. Interference
with the Right to Freedom of Association and Assembly
Commissioner-General
of Police and co-Ministers of Home Affairs to reaffirm the right
to freely organize political activities. Not done
22. Role and
Funding of NGOs
Government
should determine priority areas for donor assistance. To be implemented
by the Cabinet Aid Coordination Committee [CAC] and Cabinet. Not
done.
23. MDTF and
Selective Funding of Ministries by Donors
Government
should improve aid coordination and achieve budget support. To
be implemented by the Cabinet Committee on Aid Coordination and
Cabinet. Not done.
24. Amendments
to the Electoral Act
Minister of
Justice and Legal Affairs, Cabinet and Parliament to act to enable
legislation to be completed. The Bill to amend the Electoral Act,
although believed to have been finalised, has not yet been sent
to the Government Printer for printing prior to its presentation
to Parliament. This means that it is unlikely to be presented
to Parliament this month – Bills have to be printed and
gazetted, and cannot ordinarily be introduced until at least two
weeks after gazetting.
Items
for Implementation in One Month
2. Media Issues
Minister of
Media, Information and Publicity, Parliamentary Standing Rules
and Orders Committee and the party principals to attend to:
Not done.
The Parliamentary Standing Rules and Orders Committee is expected
to meet next week; its input is required regarding members of
the BAZ Board.
3. External
Radio Stations
JOMIC and
Cabinet Re-engagement Committee to call upon foreign governments
hosting, funding and relaying pirate radio stations to stop interference
in the internal affairs of the Republic of Zimbabwe. Not done.
7. Land Audit
The Minister
of Lands and Rural Resettlement, the Cabinet Committee on Resettlement
and Development [CRD], the Cabinet and the Principals to appoint
an inclusive and balanced Land Audit Commission. The Land Audit
Commission has not been appointed.
11. Ministerial
Mandates: Assignment of Acts
Chief Secretary
to the President and Cabinet and Secretary in the Prime Minister’s
Office to meet and submit report on the issue to the Leadership
of the Inclusive Government. Not done.
16. National
Economic Council (NEC)
Minister of
Economic Planning and Investment Promotion, Cabinet and Leadership
of Government to expedite the establishment of the NEC. NEC has
not been established.
The other
7 agreed items in the implementation matrix are for continuous
action or for completion within 2 months.
Progress on
them will be covered in a later bulletin.
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every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot take legal
responsibility for information supplied.
