VOA标准英语2009年-South African Mediators on Zimbabwe Co

President Jacob Zuma's three-person team of mediators meet with top players in Zimbabwe's power-sharing government

Peta Thornycroft | Harare 01 December 2009

Zimbabwean PM Morgan Tsvangirai, talks to the press in Harare, prior to his departure for Libya, 19 Nov 2009

South African President Jacob Zuma's three-person team of mediators has completed a heavy schedule of closed-door meetings with top players in Zimbabwe's power-sharing government.  The mediators were sent to Zimbabwe to try to ease tensions and resolve outstanding issues of the 14-month-old political agreement that gave birth to the inclusive unity¹ government in February.

The South African team headed by former home affairs minister Charles Ngakula, met several people involved in or concerned with the past 10 years of political crisis in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe (File)

A source close to the mediators said the closed-door meetings, beginning with President Robert Mugabe, went well.

On the first full day of meetings Monday, the pro-ZANU-PF Herald² daily newspaper carried a report saying Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai had admitted he called for so-called U.S. and European Union sanctions against Zimbabwe.  Mr. Tsvangirai has said repeatedly he did not call for any sanctions against Zimbabwe.

Mr. Mugabe cites the sanctions as the main cause behind Zimbabwe's economic collapse³ and they are on his list of unresolved issues of the political agreement.  ZANU-PF wants Mr. Tsvangirai to campaign for the restrictions⁴ to be lifted.

The restrictions on Zimbabwe mostly limit international travel for Mr. Mugabe, 200 other ZANU-PF officials and a few of their companies.  The U.S. and EU restrictions do not extend to the World Bank and the International Monetary⁵ Fund.  

The World Bank and the IMF say they cut off assistance to Zimbabwe in 1999 because it had not serviced its debt to either organization.

South African President Jacob Zuma's team is trying to establish a framework for ZANU-PF and the MDC to negotiate the outstanding issues from the political agreement.  A December 6 deadline was set by the Southern African Development Community.

Mr. Mugabe's ZANU-PF is also preparing for its congress that takes place every five years to appoint a new party leadership.

All ZANU-PF's provinces have agreed Mr. Mugabe should remain as party president, many say the 85-year-old leader should remain party president for the rest of his life.
 
 
 

1 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

2 herald   

vt.预示...的来临，预告，宣布，欢迎

参考例句：

• In England, the cuckoo is the herald of spring.在英国杜鹃鸟是报春的使者。
• Dawn is the herald of day.曙光是白昼的先驱。

3 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

4 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

5 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。