HARARE – Zimbabwe’s three ruling parties today resume negotiations to end a power-sharing dispute threatening their coalition government after spending Monday briefing South African facilitators on ground covered and issues still outstanding in the talks that have dragged on for months.

The facilitators sent by South African President Jacob Zuma -- the Southern African Development Community (SADC)’s mediator in Zimbabwe -- are expected to take part in the talks between negotiators from President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU PF party and the two former opposition MDC formations of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Premier Arthur Mutambara.

"We've given the facilitating team our feedback. We hope will resolve the outstanding issues this time. Never mind the grand standing parties do in front of their supporters. Talks is about give and take," said Welshman Ncube, lead negotiator for Mutambara’s MDC-M as left a Harare hotel where the Zimbabweans were meeting with the South African mediators.

Tendai Biti secretary general of Tsvangirai’s MDC-T formation said the new round of talks has to be the last one – hinting at growing frustration within the Prime Minister’s party over the seemingly endless negotiations.

Biti said, "negotiations have to come to an end we've been negotiating since 2007 … this round of talks must rest this matter."

ZANU PF’s Nicholas Goche declined to comment when approached by ZimOnline reporters.

The talks to resolve outstanding issues between ZANU PF and the MDC formations have dragged on since the former foes agreed to join hands last February in a coalition government that has been credited with stabilising the country’s economy to improve the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans.

While analysts are confident the unity government will not collapse, they say unending bickering among coalition partners could cripple the administration and render it ineffective.

The MDC-T accuses Mugabe of flouting the global political agreement that gave birth to the unity government after the veteran leader refused to rescind his unilateral appointment of two of his allies to the key posts of central bank governor and attorney general.

Mugabe has also refused to swear in MDC-T treasurer Roy Bennett as deputy agriculture minister and to appoint members of both MDC formations as provincial governors.

On its part ZANU PF insists it has done the most to uphold the power-sharing deal and instead accuses the MDC of reneging on promises to campaign for lifting of Western sanctions on Mugabe and his top allies. – ZimOnline.