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He, however, said there were still some “hitches” that have to be ironed out for the full implementation of the GPA.

 

He said the remaining issues were not “major” and would not affect progress made.

President Zuma was speaking in Harare yesterday evening after separately meeting President Mugabe of Zanu-PF, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of MDC-T and Professor Welshman Ncube of MDC.

The meeting with the three political party leaders was in preparation for the Sadc Troika and the main summit scheduled for Mozambique starting today.

President Mugabe also said the GPA was progressing well, with the constitution-making process having resulted in the draft being handed over to the principals.

“It (the meeting) went well. We briefed the President on the process as it has moved globally towards the making of the constitution with a view to reaching a stage of referendum and elections,” he said.

“That we are now at a stage where principals have been served with the draft constitution and each party at the level of the principals is now considering the draft.”

President Mugabe said Zanu-PF had considered the draft and effected some amendments.

“There would be a discussion to exchange ideas as principals and thereafter we hand over the draft to the stakeholders, so there would be a stakeholders’ stage which will discuss the constitution as a draft and possibly make amendments.”

President Mugabe said the draft would be handed over to Parliament for further discussions and possible amendments before it goes to referendum.

“That is what we have told him,” he said.

President Mugabe said he was not aware of any hitches, saying President Zuma could have been referring to amendments made.

He said Zanu-PF would not have passed the draft without reviewing it.

“We are an enlightened party. We do not just accept things as conclusive,” said President Mugabe.

He said the parties were headed to the Sadc Summit, adding that he hoped there would not be any controversies.

Briefing journalists before his departure, President Zuma said he would brief the Sadc Troika today and the full Summit.

“As you realise I am here to consult with the parties that are part of the Government here who made the agreement that we have the Government that is operating,” he said.

“One of the tasks is to report how far the process in Zimbabwe is. I have consulted the parties. We had discussions on a variety of issues.

“I will be reporting to Sadc tomorrow (today) where the Troika is meeting and then report to the Sadc Summit.

“There has been some movement forward. There are still some hitches which are not major.”

MDC-T leader Mr Tsvangirai emerged from the meeting singing a different hymn.

“The position is that different political parties made representations to President Zuma mostly around the constitution, but as you know Zanu-PF has not concluded discussions around the constitution, it has been decided that the matter would be revisited at the Summit,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the principals had no veto power against Copac.

“Clause 6 of the 19th Amendment doesn’t give veto power to the principals. Principals can not veto what Copac has done,” he said.

President Zuma also met MDC leader Professor Welshman Ncube, while it could not be established whether Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara had been granted audience with the Sadc facilitator.

President Zuma had earlier been met at the Harare International Airport by Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Didymus Mutasa and ZanuPF national chairman Cde Simon Khaya Moyo.

No representative from the MDC formations was at the airport.

Sadc Troika meets today, while the full Summit starts tomorrow in Maputo, Mozambique.