South African President Jacob Zuma’s facilitation team has just completed its draft report on the implementation of the GPA and creation of an election roadmap for Zimbabwe.
The report is set to be tabled at a crucial summit to deliberate Zimbabwe’s future in Johannesburg, South Africa, next month.
The draft report will be used to inform Sadc leaders on the developments in the country and help them shape their opinion on whether Zimbabwe should be allowed to hold elections this year or not, among other things.
GPA negotiators and the Sadc facilitator on Zimbabwe, Zuma’s International Relations advisor Lindiwe Zulu, who is also the spokesperson for the facilitation team, confirmed the development.
“Yes, I can confirm the draft report is complete, but we can’t discuss what is in the draft because at the end of the day the negotiators will discuss the report with their principals,” said Zulu.
A GPA negotiator who refused to be named said the need for a draft report was agreed on at a meeting held with the facilitation team in Cape Town, early this month.
“The idea is that the negotiators meet and discuss the draft and give their input before finally meeting the facilitation team for the final product.
We are already working on that,” said the negotiator. NewsDay understands the report is basically a summary of what has been achieved by the negotiators and facilitation team in coming up with an election roadmap, as per the directive of Sadc, which wants an undisputed election in Zimbabwe.
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The report highlights progress and sticking points in the implementation of the GPA as well as challenges in the creation of the roadmap.
A source said the facilitation team wanted the involvement of partners in the inclusive government in coming up with the report, so that none of the parties would feel hard done or ambushed, like what happened during the Sadc Troika meeting in Livingstone, Zambia, at the end of March.
After the meeting, Zanu PF officials complained they were not given the facilitator’s report, which they said was unheard of.
GPA negotiators have made progress in crafting the roadmap, but Zanu PF has already announced it will not honour some of the agreed positions and proposals, such as delaying elections until next year or 2013 and allowing security sector reforms.
