President Jacob Zuma on Wednesday expressed optimism about the situation in Zimbabwe.

Speaking in the National Assembly during debate on the Presidency budget vote, he repeated the Zimbabwean negotiations process was well underway and “some achievements have been registered”.

The parties had also agreed to put in place various commissions that would help to move the country and the negotiations process forward.

These included the establishment of the Human Rights Commission, the Electoral Commission, as well as the Media Commission.

The commissioners had already been sworn in and they enjoyed the respect of all Zimbabweans across the political spectrum.

The three parties were still consulting about the appointment of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission.

There was also agreement in principle on the appointment of provincial governors; the parties had agreed on the model and formula of how these provincial governors would be appointed, Zuma said.

It was agreed that Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change and President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF would share nine governorships, while the tenth would go to the MDC break-away group.

Whoever got four governors between the MDC and Zanu-PF would be given an additional minister of state.

The parties had established a team that came from all parties that would appeal to the international community to call for the withdrawal of [the targeted] sanctions.

All parties had also agreed on the establishment of the National Economic Council and this decision awaited implementation.

Zuma said with the acquittal of the MDC’s Roy Bennett, one issue that was an obstacle had been removed.

Negotiations on other critical outstanding issues were still continuing, and various proposals on how to unblock the impasse were still being considered by various parties.

“There is hope and optimism that a solution would be found as we continue to engage with all the relevant stakeholders. I will present a report to the chairperson of the Troika and SADC soon,” Zuma said.

Source: Sapa