MEDIATOR . . . former South African President Thabo Mbeki

JOHANNESBURG – Zimbabwe’s power-sharing deal looked increasingly in danger of unraveling after President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU PF party on Wednesday rejected opposition calls for ex-South African President Mbeki to intervene to break a deadlock over formation of a government of national unity.

As ZANU PF rejected outside help to break the stalemate over sharing of posts in the unity government, a senior South African official raised fresh doubt whether Mbeki – who brokered the power-sharing deal – would be willing to help, telling reporters that the ex-president had not yet agreed to keep mediating in Zimbabwe’s crisis.

ZANU PF chief negotiator in the power-sharing talks Patrick Chinamasa told journalists that calls by opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC party for Mbeki’s intervention were “mischievous”.

He denied that there was a deadlock in the first place despite the fact that Mugabe and Tsvangirai met on Tuesday but failed to reach agreement after the veteran leader allegedly demanded control of all key ministries including Finance, Home Affairs, Defence, Foreign Affairs, Justice, Information, Mines, Agriculture and Youth Affairs.

Chinamasa said: "Anyone who says there is a deadlock is being mischievous. There is commitment on all of us to make things work. If there was a disagreement as is being suggested, I don't think it's one that would justify calling in the facilitator."

Following the failure of Mugabe and Tsvangirai to break the deadlock over Cabinet posts, the MDC called on Mbeki to resume mediation while it also said the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Africa Union (AU) guarantors to Mbeki’s mediation should also intervene.

MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa, who accused Mugabe seeking to relegate the opposition party to a junior role in the unity government, indicated the opposition had alerted Mbeki as well as the SADC of the deadlock.

However, the spokesman for South Africa’s newly sworn-in interim President Kgalema Motlanthe said Mbeki had not yet formerly said he was ready to carrying on mediating in Zimbabwe fowling his ouster as president.

"He hasn't made that pronouncement," the spokesman, Thabang Chiloane, told reporters in response to a question whether the ex-president would keep on working on the Zimbabwe crisis.

Chiloane however added that Frank Chikane, the director general in the Presidency, was speaking with Mbeki about carrying on as head of the Zimbabwe mediation team.

Although the SADC, which last year mandated Mbeki to mediate in Zimbabwe had indicated that his ouster as South Africa’s president would not affect his role in Zimbabwe, questions have remained whether he would in fact continue as mediator.

Mbeki's spokesperson Mukoni Ratshitanga said on Wednesday that the SADC would have to "formally pronounce" whether Mbeki would continue as mediator, adding: "President Mbeki will participate in any process that is aimed at taking the African continent a step forward."

But some analysts have questioned the future effectiveness of Mbeki, saying with his clout as president of Africa’s biggest economy taken away he would find it difficult to pressure Zimbabwe’s squabbling political leaders to compromise.

The power-sharing agreement signed by Mugabe, Tsvangirai and leader of a smaller opposition party Arthur Mutambara was lauded as the best opportunity yet for Zimbabwe to end an acute recession that is seen in the world’s highest inflation of 11 million percent, deepening poverty amid shortages of food and every basic survival commodity.

The international community, in particular Western donor nations whose financial support is vital to any effort to resuscitate Zimbabwe’s comatose economy, has to help rebuild the country but only after assessing implementation of the power-sharing deal.

Meanwhile SADC spokesman Charles Mubita said on Wednesday that the 15-nation bloc had not yet been contacted about the standoff in Zimbabwe but said Mbeki was the "only channel" for handling the crisis.

"If there is anything that needs to be discussed with Zimbabwe, there are channels, and the only channel is through the facilitator," he told reporters. – ZimOnline