Clinton to urge Zuma offensive on Mugabe
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...By SARAH NCUBE
Published: August 3, 2009
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UNITED STATES – WASHINGTON – United States (US) Secretary of State Hillary is expected in South Africa this week to nudge that country’s President Jacob Zuma to press Robert Mugabe to implement outstanding terms of a power-sharing deal Mugabe agreed with his opposition foes last year, the US’ top official on Africa has said. The Zimbabwe Telegraph reports.
Johnnie Carson, the US Assistant of State for African Affairs said Clinton would raise with Zuma the nagging issues arising from last year’s Global Political Agreement (GPA) that Mugabe is refusing to implement, thereby derailing efforts by the country’s inclusive government to woo much needed financial aid from the West.
“We will encourage South Africa as a primary (regional) leader . . . to press the government of Robert Mugabe to fully implement the global political agreement that he signed,” Carson said of Clinton’s visit to South Africa ahead of a seven nation African trip that begins this week.
Zuma is the current of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) chair that alongside the Africa Union is a guarantor of Zimbabwe’s GPA.
Already, the former opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) formations have written to SADC to intervene in pushing Mugabe to fully implement the terms of the GPA.
The MDC’s have also complained to SADC about Mugabe’s continued flouting of the GPA as seen by his refusal to rescind the appointments of central bank governor, Gideon Gono and Attorney General, Johannes Tomana that he unilaterally made.
Deputy Premier, Arthur Mutambara in May also wrote to Zuma asking him to intercede by calling a summit at finding a solution to the impasse.