Prospects of resolving Zimbabwe’s impasse in the allocation of cabinet posts hit a brick wall Monday after the Movement for Democratic Change leader, Morgan Tsvangirai failed to attend the meeting in Swaziland citing delays in getting traveling documents.
The MDC leader was supposed to meet in Mbabane, the capital of Swaziland, with principals to the power sharing deal, Robert Mugabe of Zanu PF, Professor Arthur Mutambara of the MDC breakaway faction and other four leaders from the region to attempt to break the deadlock in the sharing of cabinet posts.
The Chair of the SADC organ on Politics, Defence and Security, King Mswati III told journalists in Swaziland that the meeting is now rescheduled to Monday, 27 October in the capital Harare.
“Tsvangirai was supposed to attend but due to some technical problems, he could not attend. That’s why we had to postpone the meeting to Harare,” said Mswati.
Earlier on Monday King Mswati had offered to send his private jet to pick Tsvangirai but he declined saying he should instead be issued with a new passport.
Tsvangirai applied for a new passport two months ago but up to now, the Registrar Office is still to furnish him with the document. According to MDC-Tsvangirai faction, the MDC leader, was instead provided with an Emergency Travelling Document (ETD) late Sunday, a move they say is an “insult” to the person supposed to be Prime Minister.
Commenting on the developments in Swaziland through a statement Monday, the other signatory to the power sharing deal, Professor Arthur Mutambara said in the context of the agreement failing to issue Tsvangirai with a passport lacks “goodwill.”
Said Mutambara:” I have raised this matter with President Mbeki and Mugabe. We should never allow trivial matters such as this to affect the national interest. SADC has an opportunity to help Zimbabweans solve their national crisis by standing up to Mugabe’s unacceptable behaviour in this regard.”
Mutambara stressed the need for a tripartite agreement and warned that if Mugabe went ahead and form a government alone, his party would not recognize it and call for global isolation against a “criminal and illegitimate government.”
“If Robert Mugabe unilaterally forms a government we will denounce and call for the global isolation of any such criminal and illegitimate government,” said the firebrand Professor of Robotics.
As the bickering in the sharing of cabinet posts continue since Zanu PF and the two MDC formations brokered a power sharing deal last month, ordinary Zimbabweans continue to suffer the most. Inflation is at world record 231 million percent, food shortages hit most parts of the country, there is cash crisis at banks, and teachers have gone on strike since January paralyzing the education sector.
