Links ~ 21 - 22 August 2008

Zimbabwe doctors go on strike, teachers next (Nehanda Radio)
All doctors at all the country’s referral hospitals are on strike, Amon Siveregi the chairman of the Zimbabwe Medical Doctors’ Association told Nehanda Radio on Thursday. ‘We are negotiating with government, but can’t yet disclose our demands because of a confidentiality clause in our dealings,’ Siveregi said. Meanwhile the militant Progressive Teachers Union (PTUZ) has warned that teachers will be next to strike if their working conditions are not improved. With inflation at over 50 million percent most civil servants earn only enough money to buy a couple of loaves of bread.

SADC under pressure as criticism grows (SWRA)
Zimbabwe’s National Association of NGOs has added its voice to the growing chorus of criticism aimed at the Southern African Development Community –for failing to facilitate an end to the Zimbabwean crisis at the weekend summit in South Africa. [...] The National Association of NGOs said in a statement that SADC had effectively endorsed Mugabe by inviting him, despite global pressure on SADC not to recognise the dictator as a legitimate leader. The statement said that SADC has contributed to the humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe by failing “to uphold and enforce compliance with its stated commitments to democracy, rule of law and human rights”.

Opposition parties say Mugabe violated deal (Business Day)
ZIMBABWEAN President Robert Mugabe is in a tight spot on how to form a functioning new government after a smaller faction of the opposition he banked on for a coalition said it would not work with him.[...] The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) faction led by Arthur Mutambara assured its restless MPs at a national council meeting on Wednesday that it would not join Mugabe’s government. The party was facing a revolt from MPs after reports that it leadership was considering working with Mugabe.

‘We seek power-sharing’ (The Star)
Interview with Professor Welshman Ncube
Q: A deal to resolve the Zimbabwe crisis remains elusive, despite President Thabo Mbeki’s and the SADC’s spirited efforts. Why?

A. All is elusive because it has been impossible to get all three parties at the negotiating table to agree on what this deal is essentially about. If you take into account the positions as they stand now, it boils down to one thing in our view: do you have a power-sharing deal or do you have a power-transfer deal?

Tsvangirai seeks Raila’s advice on coalition (The Standard - Kenya)
Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Thursday held a private meeting with Zimbabwe’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai at his Karen residence in Nairobi. Tsvangirai was in Nairobi for a one-day visit to consult with top Kenyan Government officials over the Zimbabwe stalemate. He met Raila early in the morning, and said MDC would not get into government with President Robert Mugabe unless there was “real power sharing”. Tsvangira was interested in knowing more about the Kenyan negotiations that led to the signing of the national peace Accord and formation of the Grand Coalition Government.

Botswana denies apologising to Mugabe (Daily Nation)
Botswana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Phandu Skelemani has denied reports that he apologised to Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe for its tough stance on rigged elections at the recent SADC Summit in Pretoria, South Africa. [...] Mr Skelemani was reacting to a Zimbabwean government newspaper, the Herald, which on Monday reported that he praised Mr Mugabe’s behaviour at the on-going negotiations with the opposition MDC facilitated by South Africa President Thabo Mbeki. [...] Mr Skelemani on Wednesday labelled the reports blatant lies.

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