RSS 2.0 FeedJuly 2011 Vol 35, Featured Articles, Constitutional Indaba
S. African Facilitators Said to Pledge Funding for Zimbabwe Constitution Rewrite
Political analyst Brian Raftopolous said the Zuma administration has more clout within SADC now and can move to isolate Harare diplomatically if the ZANU-PF side of the government continues to hinder progress
Facilitators working under South African President Jacob Zuma to mediate a solution to the perennial crisis in the Zimbabwean government met Thursday with the parliamentary committee in charge of revising the constitution, promising to provide funds to help complete the process plagued by funding shortfalls and political bickering.
Mr. Zuma’s facilitation team was to meet with the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee, established to measure compliance by Zimbabwe's power-sharing political parties with the 2008 Global Political Agreement for power sharing.
Edward Mkhosi, select committee co-chairman for the Movement for Democratic Change formation of Welshman Ncube, said his panel updated the facilitators, who were led by Zuma foreign policy adviser Lindiwe Zulu and African National Congress official Marc Maharaj. He said his panel vowed to complete the revision by the end of 2011.
Mkhosi told VOA reporter Sithandekile Mhlanga the facilitators promised to present their findings to a Southern African Development Community summit in August in Angola.
The two MDC formations in government - including that led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai - have accused ZANU-PF of blocking progress toward implementation of the Global Political Agreement including a broad range of electoral media reforms.
Political analyst Brian Raftopolous said the Zuma administration has increased its clout within SADC and can move to isolate Harare diplomatically if the ZANU-PF side of the government continues to hinder progress toward free and fair elections.
Raftopolous told reporter Violet Gonda that SADC must stand firm on the positions it took at previous summits, in particular its resolution to delegate three members of its staff to the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee, which it has not yet done.
More Featured Articles
CAUGHT CHEATING? HOW TO MOVE FORWARD AFTER BEING UNFAITHFUL
We all learn to look out for signs that our man is cheating, or subtle hints that he might be seeing someone else on the side, but what if you are the one that cheated? Assuming that you still want to work on your current relationship, we have 7 ways to move on successfully after you’ve been unfaithful. This is not a “loop-hole” and is not praised, but the reality is 14 percent of married women have had affairs at least once during their married lives and 17 percent of divorces in the United States are caused by infidelity. If you fall into this category, and don’t want to be part of the divorce statistic, take a look at these helpful steps.
Sure signs she's cheating on you
MARRIAGES often break down on account of husbands not being loyal to their wives.
Who wants to be a monkey?
A student has been left feeling a little red-faced after an embarrassing incident with a monkey made her a global star. Charmian Chen, who just happens to be a model, was visiting the Sacred Monkey Forest Ubud in Bali last month when two of the primates decided she was a little overdressed.The 22-year-old student, from Taiwan, was on holiday on the tropical Indonesian island feeding long-tailed macaques when she was singled out.
General Solomon Mujuru Legacy Divides Opinion
The death of 62 year old retired army General Solomon Mujuru, in a farmhouse fire in Beatrice outside Harare in the early hours of Tuesday morning, has left Zimbabweans divided over what sort of legacy he leaves behind. Like most liberation war heroes from ZANU PF his legacy is a mixed bag.
Columnist journos master attacks on Mugabe
Despite government efforts to weed out descenting journalists and uproot media freedom in Zimbabwe, a new crop of political columnists are emerging who are not afraid to call a spade a spade writes Nkosana Dlamini
The west's gift to Robert Mugabe
OPINION: Sanctions, when portrayed by Zanu-PF as imperialism, provide a convenient excuse for the mismanagement of Zimbabwe writes Conor Foley for the Guardian
Zimbabwe at a crossroads … again
OPINION: Robert Mugabe won the battle for Zimbabwe some time ago. Despite losing a couple of elections, he triumphed by calling on the state security sector – with whom he, in their civilian suits, runs government affairs – to stifle the will of the people writes Heidi holland.
Diaspora vote deal hangs in the balance
OPINION: The disclosure that MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai and his Zanu-pf counterpart, Robert Mugabe have reached a deal on the diaspora vote (The Zimbabwe Mail12/08/11) has to be treated with a pinch of salt.
Sadc must finalise Zimbabwe crisis
Sadc facilitator to the Zimbabwe crisis and South African President Jacob Zuma on Friday summoned negotiators to the GPA to Pretoria to finalise the roadmap to the next elections for presentation to a make-or-break regional summit in Luanda, Angola, tomorrow.
In Zimbabwe, a case of mistaken identity
A youthful husband unwittingly puts his wife in an awkward spot writes Kate Chambers
Exporting a crisis
As a Zimbabwean now living in South Africa, I look with alarm at the violations of the rule of law that Zanu (PF) seems intent on exporting from Zimbabwe to the region.
Mugabe exit plan, ill-advised, insensitive and probably illegal
OPINION - Shock and disbelief is how it feels about reports that the South African President Jacob Zuma and MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai have crafted a safe exit plan for Zanu-pf leader Robert Mugabe (The Zimbabwean, Zuma, PM agree Mugabe exit plan, 20/07/11).
Netsai Mushonga: Democracy in the Eyes of Women in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a fragile state. The whole country has been plunged into a humanitarian crisis and all social, economic, and political fundamentals are deteriorating faster than they would in a country at war.
Eddie Cross:Zimbabwe's slide into kleptocracy
Eddie Cross says at one stage the Zanu-PF elite was stealing a third of annual GDP
Threat of army takeover looms large in Zimbabwe
The military has taken on a visible role in the country’s political affairs and has opposed security sector reforms writes Ray Ndlovu for the Business Day
Zimbabwe government in turmoil as vote looms
Legislators have yet to rewrite Zimbabwe's constitution more than two years after a historic power-sharing agreement between longtime enemies. At least a quarter of the people on the country's voter lists are in fact dead writes ANGUS SHAW
Electoral amendments don’t go far enough: ERC
The proposed amendments to the Electoral Amendment Bill, to be put before parliament soon as part of the roadmap to elections, leave Registrar General Tobaiwa Mudede firmly in control of the controversial voter’s roll.
South Sudan facts and figures
Facts and figures about South Sudan, which became the world's newest country on Saturday:
DOOMED?:Separate beds for royal couple
Durban - It was supposed to be their fairytale honeymoon in Africa, but Princess Charlene slept alone in a bedroom 16km from her prince.
Asbestos: Killer product or toxic PR?
Back in May, an international consortium of doctors, scientists, labour leaders and health organizations wrote a rather pandering letter to Zimbabwe dictator Robert Mugabe writes MARK BONOKOSKI .
'AU is not being taken seriously by the developed countries'
President Jacob Zuma has once again lashed out at the Nato-led military intervention in Libya, saying it amounted to undermining the African Union.
