PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai will return to work tomorrow to address issues threatening the fragile unity government after successfully undergoing surgery in South Africa, his office confirmed yesterday.

Gorden Moyo, the Minister of State in Prime Minister’s office, said Tsvangirai would be seized with several issues threatening cohesion in the unity government.

They include the controversial Indigenisation and Empowerment Regulations, which Zanu PF has stubbornly foisted on the country’s already ailing economy.

“I can confirm that the Prime Minister will be back in the office on Monday after one week’s rest,” Moyo said. “He was recuperating after a successful operation to correct damage to a bone in his nose that was causing him breathing difficulties.”
The damage has been linked to the savage beating Tsvangirai received at the hands of police in 2007 after he was arrested for trying to attend a Save Zimbabwe Campaign prayer meeting.

Moyo said on his return Tsvangirai would have to deal with the indigenisation laws and the finalization of the government’s work programme for 2010.

The PM is also likely to attend the traditional meeting of the principals in the inclusive government where he together with President Robert Mugabe and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara would seek to address the impasse in the talks between the three governing parties.

“He will also be dealing with the issues of the Global Political Agreement where talks are currently stalled,” Moyo said.
Meanwhile, sources said the controversy over the indigenisation law had the potential to torpedo the inclusive government and Tsvangirai would be under pressure from his party to take a principled stand.

MDC-T spokesperson Nelson Chamisa said the party was not disputing the shared destination of empowerment but was disagreeing on the journey to its achievement.

“We have issues around the form, content and motivation of the proposed law.
“To the best of our understanding the matter is still being discussed within the context of the inclusive government. . .,” he said.
“If it is an inclusive government, the policy formulation and implementation has to be inclusive.”

By The Standard