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South African President Jacob Zuma is leading SADC mediation efforts to break a power-sharing deadlock in Zimbabwe.

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Harare - Western donors have praised the role South Africa is playing in resolving Zimbabwe’s power-sharing crisis but urged greater efforts to push through crucial political reforms stalling this country’s coalition government

A group of Western donors and development partners, falling under the banner Friends of Zimbabwe, said it supported the efforts being made by South Africa and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to move Zimbabwe’s political process forward.

South African President Jacob Zuma is leading SADC mediation efforts to break a power-sharing deadlock between Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and long-time rival Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of the former opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

The Zimbabwean politicians are bickering over appointments of key officials such as the attorney general and central bank chief as well as the continued arrests and harassment of MDC supporters by security forces loyal to Mugabe.

“We appreciate the determination of SADC and its leaders to act in a strong and principled way and to remain actively engaged.

“We trust this will lead to the creation of conditions conducive for the holding of democratic elections in accordance with international best practice,” the donors said in a joint statement released here Friday.

SADC and the African Union were instrumental in the signing of a power-sharing deal that Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara agreed to in September 2008 which paved the way for the creation of a coalition government in February 2009.

The donors praised the positive steps taken in the past few months to implement the agreement, including the establishment of electoral, media and human rights commissions, the adoption of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Bill and the granting of licenses for independent media.

They pledged funding for the rehabilitation of Zimbabwe’s infrastructure and initiatives aimed at ensuring a peaceful and credible electoral process.

Zimbabwe is due to hold fresh elections in 2011.

Friends of Zimbabwe is a loose coalition of donors that comprises governments of the USA, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK as well as the European Commission, the European Union Council Secretariat, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the African Development Bank and the United Nations.

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