Tsvangirai should be wary of surrounding himself with deadwood advisors, some of whom
have proven to be merchants of division, which does not take his aspirations, dreams and
desires and above all the cause of most Zimbabweans forward.
Members of the kitchen cabinet collapsed unity talks between the MDC formations
before the 2008 elections only because they felt they would be eliminated from the
feeding trough.35
4.��
SADC and the GPA
Since 2009 the SADC facilitation team has struggled to find ways to ensure the full
implementation of the GPA, largely due to the refusal of the Mugabe regime to move on the
outstanding issues. At the SADC summit in Namibia in August 2010 the parties agreed that the
completion of the constitutional reform process and the referendum should be followed by an
election. Moreover the Summit agreed that:
The parties, assisted by the Troika, should discuss the outstanding issues in keeping with
the decisions of the Maputo Troika summit and resolve them within one month as part of
a confidence‐building measure, based on appropriate consultation in keeping with
Zimbabwe’s law and any other relevant instrument.
The Inclusive Government and the Zimbabwe political parties should find an
uninterrupted path towards free and fair elections and the removal of impediments as
and when they arise.
The Troika should persuade SADC to help Zimbabwe to draw up guidelines for a free and
fair election where intimidation and violence would not play any part and where the result
of such elections would be credible.36
Following this summit there was continued lack of movement on the GPA, with Zanu PF
persisting in its refrain that it would make no further ‘concessions’ until sanctions had been
lifted. Frustrated with these developments both MDCs expressed frustration with the South
African facilitation team in January 2011. Welshman Ncube commented that South Africa’s
conduct was ‘nothing short of disgraceful’ and that ‘South Africa rather than SADC should be
35
Editors Memo: Alliance key to dislodging Zanu PF. www.theindependent.co.zw/comment/30470‐alliance‐key‐to‐
dislodging‐zanu‐pf.ht.. Accessed on 04/04/2011.
36
Press Statement by the MDC Secretary General Hon Tendai Biti on the outcome of the 30th SADC Summit in
Windhoek, Namibia. www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/5940 Accessed on 12/08/2011.
17
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