Politicians Face-Off Over South Africa Diplomatic Post

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financial gazette 18 December, 2009 11:13:00

GNU

Fierce fight to rock the inclusive government is brewing over the pending appointment of the new ambassador to South Africa

This will be to replace the newly elected ZANU-PF national chairman, Simon Khaya Moyo.

Moyo, who has been Zimbabwe's ambassador to South Africa since 2000, stepped into the shoes of John Nkomo, who has taken over from the late Joseph Msika as the country's second Vice-President at the weekend.

ZANU-PF insiders said there was heavy lobbying already within the party to fill Moyo's diplomatic post, but this could be resisted by the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) formations, which consider the assignment as one that might help them build stronger relations with Pretoria.

Marondera West legislator, Ambrose Mutinhiri, who served as the country's ambassador to the former Balkan states is tipped to take over from Moyo from the ZANU-PF side.

ZANU-PF secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa, confirmed the party would certainly want the South African position occupied by its own cadre.

"It's not a question of wanting the position. It's a matter of agreeing to let us (ZANU-PF) have that ambassadorial post," said Mutasa.

"The post was held by a ZANU-PF person. Its only fair it goes to ZANU-PF," he said.

Mutasa said the decision to allow ZANU-PF to keep the Pretoria post should be seen in the same light as the agreement hammered out by the three political parties relating to vacant parliamentary seats arising during the lifespan of the inclusive government.

He was referring to an agreement entered into in September last year whereby ZANU-PF and the MDC factions agreed not to contest each other in the event of a by-election. The agreement, however, expired in September this year. It could not be ascertained if it has been renewed.

Currently, there are more than 10 parliamentary vacancies that resulted from the deaths of legislators from the MDC-T and ZANU-PF and from the expulsion of three MDC-M lawmakers, which are still to be filled through by-elections.

Edwin Mushoriwa, the spokes-person for the MDC-M, said the Pretoria post should go to any of the two MDC formations in the spirit of inclusivity.

"The position should be filled by nominees from the two, MDC-M and MDC-T, as diplomatic postings should also reflect the spirit of the coalition government," he said.

Nelson Chamisa, the spokesman for the MDC-T said: "It is only fair, logical and natural that any opening in the diplomatic postings belongs to the MDC-T. In the spirit of inclusivity, the openings in Belgium and South Africa should go to the MDC-T."

The Brussels post fell vacant following the death of Zimbabwe's ambassador to that country a few months ago. Zimbabwe has about 31 diplomatic posts around the world.

Of the current vacant five ambassadorial posts minus South Africa and Brussels, the three principals to the power-sharing pact have agreed to allocate MDC-T four slots and the MDC-M one.