South African President Jacob Zuma read the riot act to President Robert Mugabe and Zanu-PF for stalling the full implementation of the power-sharing pact endorsed by the Southern African Development Community.

It is understood that Zuma told the veteran Zimbabwean leader that the SADC was not impressed with his dilly-dallying tactics during several meetings held with Mugabe and two other government leaders during his two-day visit.

Zuma’s tough stance is an indication of the ANC’s growing impatience with Mugabe. Earlier this week, the party’s secretary-general, Gwede Mantashe, criticised Mugabe’s “deviant behaviour”.

South Africa’s former president, Thabo Mbeki, brokered Zimbabwe’s Global Political Agreement, which has been under threat as a result of differences between the principals to the agreement.

A sprightly Mugabe, who made several public appearances in which he showed no signs of ill health, as reported by the media, fêted Zuma at a state banquet. They both danced to Zuma’s trademark song Umshini Wam.

Despite the show of camaraderie, government sources from Zimbabwe’s three main political parties said Zuma categorically told Mugabe to move with speed in fully implementing the power-sharing pact. “He read the riot act to Mugabe,” said a source who was privy to the deliberations.

Tsvangirai allegedly provided Zuma with a dossier containing what the Movement for Democratic Change deemed to be violations of the power-sharing agreement, among them the arbitrary appointments of Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono and attorney-general Johannes Tomana.

Zanu-PF pointed a finger at the MDC for failing to convince the West to lift sanctions.

In his address at the Harare Agricultural Show, Zuma said the challenge facing Zanu-PF and the MDC was to ensure that Zimbabwe’s economic recovery was completed within the shortest possible time. Zuma said he would present a full report on Zimbabwe at a SADC summit to be held in the Democratic Republic of Congo next month.

By The Times (SA)