President Jacob Zuma’s international relations advisor Lindiwe Zulu yesterday said contrary to pronouncements by Zanu PF chief negotiator Patrick Chinamasa that his party had pulled out of talks, the facilitation process was still in progress.
Zulu, who is also the spokesperson of the facilitation team, said negotiators would meet on their own in two weeks’ time before meeting Zuma’s team a few days later, to solve outstanding issues.
“We don’t know where that is coming from. Nobody raised that issue (of pulling out). In fact, the negotiators will be meeting on their own to discuss issues we highlighted before meeting us later. We are not expecting anybody to pull out because all the parties signed the GPA and made a commitment to implement it,” Zulu said.
She, however, said the facilitation team and Sadc diplomats were not happy with the progress made in the implementation of the GPA and solving grey areas in the election roadmap.
The facilitation team, which came into the country on Tuesday, has held meetings with negotiators of parties in the inclusive government, Sadc ambassadors and institutions which are critical in ensuring a free and fair election in the country such as the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.
“Quite frankly, the progress being made has been slow,” she said.
“We wish things could move faster. All institutions and people we met felt that things were not moving fast enough. More needs to be done and we have agreed that negotiators meet on the 18th of this month before we meet again on the 23rd.”
Zulu said negotiators were expected to have discussions with their principals before meeting the facilitation team.
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She said Zuma was expected to meet the principals after the November 23 meeting, although she could not give the date.
A source said the facilitation team was not happy grey areas which were there prior to the last Sadc summit in Angola had not been resolved while the parties continued to haggle over violence, unimplemented agreed issues as well as outstanding issues.
Zanu PF negotiators blamed MDC-T for backtracking on the Human Rights Bill and Electoral Amendments Act while the MDC formations say Zanu PF had refused to implement most of the agreed positions.
MDC negotiator Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga confirmed the facilitation team was not happy with progress made, but also said negotiators were equally unhappy. She said she was unaware that Zanu PF had pulled out.
“All the three parties were represented and we all agreed on that we have not been able to meet and do the things were supposed to do.
“We agreed to meet first as negotiators to have a review of what we agreed and look at why we did not implement before looking at the things we did not agree on,” she said.
“We will then meet the facilitation team to discuss the process we will follow, but we were all frustrated with the pace of implementation of the various things we agreed on.”
