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Zimbabwe feminists set deadline
Wilson Johwa, Business Day
December 26, 2008

http://www.businessday.co.za/weekender/article.aspx?ID=BD4A908188

Former president Thabo Mbeki came face to face with Zimbabwean feminists on Friday when they raised concern about deadlocked negotiations over Zimbabwe's power-sharing agreement.

The Feminist Political Education Project set January 13 as the deadline for implementation of the deal, failing which "they will have let us down".

Spokeswoman Teresa Mugadza refused to divulge what action the organisation would take, saying: "We will cross the bridge when we get there."

The organisation's "statement of concern" delivered to Mbeki also calls for humanitarian intervention, an end to political violence, and the opening up of media space. Mugadza said Mbeki, the regionally mandated mediator, promised to pass their concerns on to the parties in Zimbabwe and to the African Union and the United Nations.

The meeting came amid heightened regional and international frustration over the political and humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe.

This week African National Congress president Jacob Zuma said he was suspending the party's friendship with President Robert Mugabe and Zanu (PF), whom he could no longer call "comrades".

The Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference implored SA to force Mugabe out since power-sharing talks appeared to have failed. Cardinal Wilfrid Napier said he was disappointed at the failure of the Southern Africa Development Community to make any headway in Zimbabwe, where an outbreak of cholera has to date killed some 1100 people.

Talks to end the crisis have stalled three months after a power-sharing agreement was signed.

However, speaking on the eve of his party's national conference that started on Friday, Mugabe said he would invite both Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara to map the way towards finalising the necessary constitutional amendments.

But Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has dashed hopes of a quick end to the political impasse, even though a draft constitutional amendment to legalise the political agreement was gazetted last week .

The agreement paved the way for a unity government and created the post of prime minister for Tsvangirai. The MDC insists it will not be party to the unity agreement unless consensus is reached on the distribution of ministries and other senior positions, along with the composition of the national security council.

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