As another round of South African mediation begins, many Zimbabweans and commentators are voicing frustration and impatience at the lack of solid progress in the discussions –and even the implementation of issues where the negotiators have supposedly achieved a meeting of minds.
That lack of progress and visible results leads many to conclude that the country is headed for elections in 2011 because power-sharing by then will have run its course. However, some argue that the government for all its faults is fairly stable and with a reduction in the worst human rights violations and political violence.
For an assessment of the state of the inclusive government and its outlook, we turned to two observers: national constitutional assembly director Earnest Muzengi and political analyst George Mkhwananzi for their thinking on the odds for full implementation of the g-p-a and the likelihood of national elections in 2011.
Mkhwananzi says the talks have in effect ground to a halt and are unlikely to yield results at this late stage of the exercise.
