Breakthrough in Zimbabwean talks threatens old alliances
By Wilson Watson
HARARE, Zimbabwe- THE success of Zimbabwean talks is likely to create further headaches for the ‘new’ Government as it has to deal with another delicate issue regarding the Unity Accord that was signed in 1987 between ZANU PF and PF ZAPU.
It has now emerged that some members of PF ZAPU were feeling that they would be left in the dark if MDC and ZANU PF manage to forge a GNU.
In 1987, after similar problems, then Zimbabwe’s two main political parties ZANU PF and PF ZAPU signed a Unity Accord that was to see a power sharing government.
It was agreed that although ZANU PF would retain presidency, the other vice president must be appointed from PF ZAPU, a scenario that has been in existence in the country since then.
A number of officials from the party were also to be appointed in the cabinet.
However with reports indicating that the new Government would see MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai assuming the role of executive Prime Minister and appointing two deputies from ZANU PF and his party, it automatically kills the position of PF ZAPU in the new Government.
Former PF ZAPU commander Dumiso Dabengwa who defected to support Simba Makoni during the March elections has expressed concern that this might automatically kill the party.
Already angry over the exclusion of Makoni in the ongoing SADC mediated talks, Dabengwa said this was a deliberate attempt to ignore the Matabeleland region.
PF ZAPU was largely a Matabeleland region but its support base has been taken by MDC.
“It seems it is ZANU PF and ZANU PF who are negotiating, there is a clear and deliberate sign of ignoring this region (Matabeleland) in the talks. We have to understand that from the history of this country Tsvangirai was ZANU PF,” he said.
Dabengwa accused Mugabe of failing to honour the unity accord adding that at the moment, there was little on the ground to indicate that few of the promises were honored.
Dabengwa said according to the unity accord, the presidency of the country was supposed to be on rotating basis, and Nkomo should have taken over at one time during his life.
He said Mugabe has deliberately killed ZAPU and this was very worrying.
However sources in the region said former ZAPU members are concerned that MDC was going to overshadow them if the talks succeed in bringing in a Government of National Unity.
MDC is demanding that it gets post of Governors in areas such as Matabeleland where is has massive support. These are the areas that former ZAPU members used to get posts.
The former ZAPU members are angry that it has been assumed that ZANU PF was now an all-inclusive party that has swallowed ZAPU.