SADC admit power sharing document was fraudulently altered

"SADC Secretary General Tomaz Salomao has finally admitted the power sharing
deal signed on the 15th September was fraudulently altered before the
signing ceremony and different from the one agreed to by the parties on the
11th September 2008.

“The Tsvangirai MDC accused Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, Secretary
General of the MDC Mutambara group Welshman Ncube, and Thabo Mbeki's
representative at the talks Mujanku Gumbi, of making the changes to the
document, without Tsvangirai's knowledge. The party claimed Chinamasa, Ncube
and Gumbi changed clauses relating to - an increase to the number of
non-constituent senators issued to the Mutambara faction, a clause stating
that a replacement for vice prime minister cannot be a non-constituent MP
and that parties would jointly consult each other on the appointment of
ambassadors and other key government officials,” writes Lawrence Guma."

The people of Zimbabwe are so trusting; when the GNU agreement was signed we applauded both Thabo Mbeki and SADC for a job well done. Some of us were always suspicious of Thabo Mbeki and the Mutambara factor in these negotiations. We were made to understand a word called “quiet diplomacy” so who were we to judge? We pinned our hopes betting on a dead horse. The SADC Secretary General, Thabo Mbeki, Arthur Mutambara and Robert Mugabe were all ganging up on President of the people, Morgan Tsvangirai. The proof is what is shown above in italics. As for Mbeki he went a step further by endorsing Mugabe’s grabbing of all key ministries and leave MDC to junior portfolios. I now know what they meant by an African solution to the Zimbabwe problem. Imagine our parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents etc all languishing in poverty but hoping for a breakthrough in these talks which we can now safely say, never were.

We cannot trust people who do not deserve the trust. Thabo Mbeki should quietly remove himself from the GNU talks. I am sure he has embarrassed himself enough to know that he is not dealing with children. To the SADC Secretary General we demand an apology for you withholding crucial evidence to a document that has repercussions for Zimbabweans in their quest for freedom. As for Welshman Ncube this only affirms that you have always been working in cohorts with ZANU PF. I wonder what Chinamasa would call this, altering a document that had been agreed on without all parties? Is it fraud? If it is, are you indicting yourself?

On the other hand SADC leaders are not getting the real meaning of power sharing. The MDC has given a clear agenda that certain ministries, because of their importance should be shared equally. Thus the ministries have been paired like this and please stop talking of rotation:
Defense (Army) =Home Affairs (Police)
National Security =Finance
Foreign Affairs =Information
Intelligence =Justice
Lands =Agriculture

This appears like a sharing deal which satisfies checks and balances. I hope the SADC leadership takes this analysis seriously because they seem to dwell on the wrong information provided by Mbeki and Mugabe about only the ministry of Home Affairs remains undecided. We have suffered enough. This deal needs to be completed as soon as possible but with honest brokers. It is time SADC delivers something tangible. The important thing is to make sure the people of Zimbabwe are released from bondage. We do not belong to the laughing stock of the world. Time is money so we expect results in the next regional meeting. Please do not take sides like Mbeki who single handedly put us in this crisis. This is call challenging the regional grouping to have teeth to deal with our GNU agreement.

James Charlie-MDC activist based in the US.