Denford Magora's Latest Zimbabwe News Blog

Robert "The Solution" Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai in parliament n Wednesday to listen to Tendai Biti, the Finance Minister, deliver his 2010 Budget Speech. It now emerges that Mugabe has largely won out in the negotiations going on under the facilitation of the Southern African Development Community point-man, Jacob Zuma, president of South Africa. Biti's budget also revealed that the MDC-T are looking to stay in this government for as long as they can, possibly five years, and this is said to be informing their decisions to give in to Mugabe on key points. Harare, Zimbabwe, 06 December 2009 Very authoritative sources now say Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has essentially capitulated on matters before the negotiating team in the ongoing talks n Harare and an announcement is likely to be made within a fortnight after a report from Jacob Zuma is presented to the Southern African sub-body charged with ensuring that the talks proceed timeously. Names for the Zimba...

The talks to brea the impasse in Zimbabwe's coalition are bogged down, with ZANU PF resorting to legalistic arguments to get out of their obligations. This is despite the SADC Troika meeting stating that the talks must be held in order to meet not just the letter, but also "the spirit" behind the agreement that governs the Inclusive Government in Zimbabwe. Harare, Zimbabwe 25 November 2009 Negotiators from ZANU PF and the two MDC formations are struggling to find common ground, it has emerged, with indications being that the talks to resolve the impasse that led to Morgan Tsvangirai "disengaging from ZANU PF" are stuck on who has responsibility for which outstanding issues. The Inclusive Government of Morgan Tsvangirai and Robert Mugabe had been given the deadline of 15 November to start talking and another deadline of November 30 to finish the talks. Jacob Zuma, the South African President had been scheduled to come to Zimbabwe to be updated on progress this w...

The Morgan Tsvangirai faction of the MDC today announced that an "understanding" has been reached on Constitutional Amendment No 19, the biggest stumbling block to the formation of a government of national unity, otherwise known as the Inclusive Government. Yet there was no optimism today amongst the people in Harare, where I post from. The people's patience has been tried sorely since September 15 and they now weary and wary. The question for those closely following this process, however, is whether this signals a change in strategy by Morgan Tsvangirai. You will recall that I have repeatedly stated here that the MDC regrets signing that agreement and are now seeking to reopen the negotiations from scratch. The MDC leader, I have said, is now pursuing a strategy of frustrating SADC and the African Union in order to find a doorway into the United Nations and have Zimbabwe tabled there as matter of grave international concern. It still hold true that Morgan Tsvangirai basi...

Dr Simba Makoni's statement: The Way Forward For Zimbabwe, is a bit further down on this page, please scroll down to get to it..... Like the parrot in the Monty Python sketch in this photo, the talks are DEAD, but all our "leaders" would like us to believe that they are not. "They are just sleeping," they seek to tell us. Let us recap the analysis we gave you two weeks ago on this blog regarding these talks (now colloquically referred to in Zimbabwe as "the jokes"). The MDC motivation and strategy, which are now tragically being played out exactly according to our analysis here, is as follows: First, the MDC saw the ousting of Thabo Mbeki from the South African presidency as their chance to renegotiate the September 15 agreement which they have never liked. The MDC only signed that agreement because they did not any see any other way out. Their unloved mediator, Thabo Mbeki had just taken over the Chairmanship of SADC. This meant that this regional gr...