Details of Tsvangirai’s inaugural Security Council meeting emerge
By KING SHANGO
Published on: 5th August, 2009
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ZIMBABWE – HARARE – The MDC on Monday disclosed details of a highy secretive maiden meeting of the National Security Council last Thursday, where Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai sat down for the first time with generals who have previously vowed they would never recognise his leadership.
Details of what transpired in that meeting have remained sketchy but an MDC alert sent to zim NET radio Monday said: “Thursday’s NSC meeting dealt with formal introductions and the basic mandate of the organ which is responsible for reviewing national policies on security, defence and law and order and recommending or directing appropriate action.
“The discussions also touched on the need for the inclusive government to work together,” said the MDC spokesman.
It was the first meeting of the NSC since the establishment of the GNU in February, and brought together for bthe first time Tsvangirai and army, police and intelligence chiefs at Zimbabwe House.
The ice-breaking meeting was a major step forward in the hitherto stalled implementation of the Global Political Agreement (GPA).
The council will from now on meet once a month.
The NSC meeting was attended by President Mugabe, who chaired the meeting, Tsvangirai, Vice President Joice Mujuru, Deputy Prime Ministers Thokozani Khupe and Arthur Mutambara, Defence minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, State Security minister Sydney Sekeramayi, Home Affairs co-minister Giles Mutsekwa and Economic Development minister Elton Mangoma.
Also attending the meeting were Defence Forces commander General Constantine Chiwenga, army commander, Lieutenant-General Phillip Sibanda, Air-Force commander Air Marshal Perence Shiri, deputy police commissioner-general, Levy Sibanda and CIO Director, Happyton Bonyongwe.
Tsvangirai has said he wanted to institute wide-sweeping security sector reforms.
Meanwhile, Tsvangirai told more than 2000 members of the public, business community and civil society in Harare yesterday that he was making major strids and noted the meeting of the NSC.
The purpose of the meeting, held at the Harare Showgrounds last Saturday, was also to allow those attending to ask the Prime Minister questions on issues of concern to them.
Some of the issues raised at the meeting included whether people of foreign origin would be allowed to vote in the next general elections, to which the Prime Minister said the inclusive Government was setting up a Citizenship Board which would address such anomalies.
Other people expressed concerns over high telephone, electricity and water bills when their salaries were very low.
Tsvangirai said he would look into the matter since the inclusive government had reduced tariffs.
On whether the inclusive government would assist orphans and the elderly to get medication and education the Prime Minister said it was the mandate of the Ministry of Social Welfare to give humanitarian assistance to disadvantaged members of society.
Last weekend’s meeting was part of Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s nationwide outreach programme.
