A DISPUTE over whether two of President Robert Mugabe’s closest allies should retain their positions in Zimbabwe’s fledgling unity government has been referred to the continent’s top intergovernmental bodies for mediation by the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
The argument over the futures of Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono and the attorney general, Johannes Tomana, has been continuing since both men were reappointed in March to the key positions by Mr Mugabe without the consent of his coalition partners.
Under the terms of Zimbabwe’s powersharing deal, signed last February, the appointments needed to be unanimously agreed by the unity government’s three governing parties: Zanu-PF, the MDC and an MDC breakaway faction.
Despite the MDC’s assertion that lack of consultation is behind its stance, it is widely believed that both men’s mismanagement of their respective areas is at the heart of the problem.
The MDC says it has repeatedly called for Mr Gono and Mr Tomana to step down.
However, Mr Mugabe has indicated that they will stay in their posts, arguing that they were both appointed in accordance with the law.
The deadlock finally came to a head this week with MDC referring the matter to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union in an attempt to secure an acceptable resolution.
Speaking at the funeral of the brother of the Reserve Bank governor recently, Mr Mugabe said that Mr Gono, who is known as the 85-year-old Zimbabwean president’s private banker, was going nowhere.
“Today those in Britain and elsewhere are not happy that he is still at the top of the Reserve Bank.
“Within the country, within the inclusive government, there are some who are saying he should go, and we are saying he won’t go,” Mr Mugabe said on state television.
Aside from the manner in which Mr Gono was reappointed, the MDC – which controls the ministry of finance – has indicated that the central bank has been operating outside the law under his stewardship. This was undermining attempts to secure international support to rebuild the economy, the MDC added.
To date international donors have been slow to give the billions of euro needed to kick-start Zimbabwe’s crippled economy, saying proof that the rule of law and sound economic policies had returned was needed first.
Mr Gono’s handling of the economy since he was first appointed in November 2003 has been criticised heavily because his policies are seen to have hastened the country’s economic collapse.
In the last two years alone he has knocked 25 zeros off the local currency to combat hyperinflation and printed money when needed to fund the former regime’s activities.
Despite the high-profile disagreement over reappointments, MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai told South Africa’s Star newspaper last Friday that nearly 90 per cent of the outstanding issues facing the powersharing deal had been overcome.