Zimbabwe: Disputed appointment of governors resolved ahead of the southern African summit

Zimbabwe’s coalition agrees on some disputed posts

HARARE, Zimbabwe — The Zimbabwe prime minister’s party said Friday one of its major differences with longtime ruler President Robert Mugabe over sharing the key posts of ten provincial governors is still in dispute ahead of a summit of regional leaders.

Nelson Chamisa, spokesman for the former opposition group, said Friday party leaders in the nation’s coalition agreed to share the influential posts with five going to the former opposition party of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, four to Mugabe’s party and one going to a small breakaway former opposition faction.

He said the formula of 5-4-1 was in accordance with the terms of an agreement between party leaders to share official posts after disputed elections in 2008.

But Chamisa said Mugabe was still holding out on the removal of the ten provincial governors from his ZANU-PF party whose terms of office expire Aug. 24.

“The governors issue has yet to be resolved. There is a general agreement … but Mugabe is refusing to implement it,” he told The Associated Press.

Earlier reports Friday said the deal was resolved and Mugabe was expected to swear in new governors after Aug. 24. He was also expected to cite the appointments at the Southern African Development Community summit in Namibia Monday to show that Zimbabwe’s shaky coalition deal, mediated by regional leaders, was on track.