Zim showing 'limited' progress
2009-10-15 22:36
Special Report
Zimbabwe's Prime Minister and leader of the MDC, has vowed to overturn President Robert Mugabe's controversial indigenisation drive if he wins upcoming general elections.
Harare - Britain's Ambassador to Zimbabwe said on Thursday the renewed detention of ministerial nominee Roy Bennett showed "limited" political progress by the unity government, despite advances in the economy.
"We believe the inclusive government has resulted in quite significant progress on the economic front, there has been a self-evident stabilisation of the economy and we very much hope that would continue," Ambassador Mark Canning told journalists.
"The progress, of course, on the political front as we see from the current developments relating to Mr Bennett has been far more limited," Canning told journalists.
Bennett, who was Prime Minister Tsvangirai's pick as deputy agriculture minister, was detained on Wednesday to face a terrorism trial in a move that has cast clouds on the unity pact with President Robert Mugabe.
The Movement for Democratic Change treasurer is accused of possessing arms for the purposes of banditry, terrorism and inciting acts of insurgency which the party says are trumped-up.
Tsvangirai on Thursday called off a weekly ministerial meeting after the court order. An official in the prime minister's office said the meetings and government appointments will be suspended until the Bennett issue is resolved.
Canning said Britain, which is one of several western nations that has targeted sanctions against long serving leader Mugabe and his inner circle, wanted the new government to succeed.
"We have seen tentative progress towards fulfilling the terms of the GPA (unity pact), but we are yet to see substantial progress in the area of governance and human rights, we very much hope that does unfold in the coming months."
"The UK wants this inclusive government to succeed."
- SAPA
