Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (Jomic) yesterday categorically stated it has not made a decision on the holding of fresh elections this year as they are busy working on the full implementation of the Sadc-facilitated Global Political Agreement (GPA) before any elections.
Jomic comments further pour cold water on the Zanu PF politburo position to push for the holding of fresh election before the end of this year.
South African facilitators’ spokesperson Lindiwe Zulu last week also categorically stated that it was impossible to hold elections this year as the GPA was still not fully implemented.
Jomic is the GPA’s implementation and monitoring body made up of 12 members drawn equally from the three political parties that signed the 2008 agreement.
Innocent Chagonda, a member of the Jomic Media sub-committee that also includes Oppah Muchinguri and Qhubani Moyo, told editors and senior journalists at a workshop that media reports on elections were “mere” party positions.
“The call for fresh elections before the end of this year is party political positions. As Jomic we haven’t issued a joint position on elections and that’s what counts. All parties are allowed to express their negotiating positions, but they remain party positions,” Chagonda said.
The sub-committee also aired reservations about the inclusive government’s slow implementation of the outstanding GPA issues.
Moyo told the meeting Jomic was worried at the slow progress in the implementation of the outstanding GPA issues, particularly the opening up of the electronic media since the signing of the agreement 30 months ago.
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“We need to see the opening up of media space even wider than in the present. The broadcasting sector should be opened to other players besides the State. We also need to see the opening of community radio stations so that there is diversity of languages and cultures,” Moyo said.
Muchinguri had earlier highlighted some of the reforms still to be implemented, among them the issue of sanctions, land audit, constitutional review and the legislative agenda.
Journalists in attendance raised the issue of hate language by certain political leaders be it at rallies or in their published opinion pieces and seeming impotence of Jomic to rein in errant officials.
Muchinguri responded: “Some politicians think politics is all about making noise, drinking and using violence. There are people with huge appetites for violence and it’s our (Jomic) duty to culture them.”
The meeting was the second between the committee and media practitioners since the inception of the inclusive government more than two years ago.
