There are reports thatZimbabwe President Robert Mugabe?s ruling ZANU-PF party and the oppositionMovement for Democratic Change (MDC) will hold new round of talks this week inSouth Africa. This was revealed Wednesday by the lawyer for MDC secretarygeneral Tendai Biti during a court hearing in Harare to seek the return ofBiti?s passport.
Earlier this week,Zimbabwe Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi said President Mugabe wasready to form a unity government. But he did not say what role MDC leaderMorgan Tsvangirai would play in such government.
The proposed talks come on theheel of the recent African Union summit calling on both the Zimbabwe governmentand the opposition MDC to form a unity government. Herman
Hanekom is a currentaffairs specialist with the Africa Institute of South Africa. He told VOAthe talks, if held, would be a continuation of theold, failed talks.
?The information as I had it about four hours agois that Tendai Biti, upon court order, in Harare, Zimbabwe has been given backhis passport and his bail conditions were amended to allow him to attend thesetalks if they do take place in South Africa this coming week. Now these talksare not, as far as I?m concerned, new talks. It?s merely a continuation oftalks that got took place between the MDC and ZANU-PF prior to the electionunder the auspices of President Thabo Mbeki,? he said.
The proposed talks come on the heel of the recentAfrican Union summit in Egypt calling on both the Zimbabwe government and theopposition MDC to form a unity government.
Hanekom said the proposed talks are not a newmandate for South African President Thabo Mbeki to mediate that talks aimed atending Zimbabwe?s political crisis.
He described as flowery language comments earlierthis week by Zimbabwe Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi that PresidentMugabe was ready to form a unity government with the opposition.
?Absolutely flowery language! Formation of aunity government under whose leadership, Mugabe?s? Big question mark! Howlegitimate he is. There was no mention by the Zimbabwe foreign minister, who incidentallyI think is illegal at the moment as his function stopped on the 29of March. But nevertheless he did not say what kind of role Mugabe is preparedto cede to Morgan Tsvangirai in such unity government. So let there be nooptimism unless there?s clarity on that on what Mr. Tsvangirai?s role will be,?Hanekom said.
Reacting to the Sham el-Sheikh African Unionsummit recommendation for a unity government in Zimbabwe, MDC leader Tsvangiraireportedly said he wanted to see either United Nations or African Unionobservers at any future talks.
Hanekom said it is important for the MDC to havefaith in any South Africa mediated talks.
?What is a very important issue in the entirefiasco that is taking place at the moment, to what degree will the MDC havefaith in the South Africa mediation without a representative of the AfricanUnion present as they have clearly indicated after Sham el-Sheikh that they areprepared to continue with Thabo Mbeki as the mediator but they do want anotherparty present that is not attached to South Africa at all but to the AfricanUnion. And that is another key issue because the past has proven time and againthat from the mediator side certain things were said that later were proved notto have been true,? Hanekom said.
He said the fact that MDC secretary generalTendai Biti was given his passport indicates that not all judges in Zimbabweare politicized as the police and military are politicized.