SADC disappoints, again
Options are fast running out for the majority of Zimbabweans as the talks aimed at resolving the cabinet log jam have stalled yet again, dead in the water. The latest impasse has crushed people’s spirits and hopes for a resolution to current endemic problems brought about by the collapse of the economy.
A mechanic I chatted to in the afternoon was at a loss words to express his disappointment and was only able to say “takuvara”, we are in a fix.
Morgan Tsvangirai finds himself today in a very difficult position. On one end he has to deal with the relentless pressure from SADC to agree to the unreasonable demand of rotating the Home Affairs with Zanu PF, a party that has already allocated to itself all influential ministries and is dictating what shape the new government is to take after it lost the only credible election this country has ever held to the MDC.
On the other hand he is trying not to betray his supporters by agreeing to a situation which leaves Zanu PF in a powerful position, supporters who have sacrificed their lives and livelihoods in support for change to be brought about to the Zimbabwean political landscape.
To put a twist to the already complicated mess is whether he should give in to alleviate the suffering of the Zimbabwean people and enable the formation of the GNU and pave way for the addressing of current problems.
A lady I spoke to was of the opinion that Tsvangirai is being stubborn and greedy, and should just concede to SADC demands and allow for “co-chairing” of the Home Affairs Ministry so that government convenes and tries to solve the country’s problems. But one has to take a step back and figure it out that no help is going to come Zimbabwe’s way as long as the power sharing agreement leaves the “balance of power” tilted in Mugabe’s direction.
So at this moment in time we find ourselves in dire straits, a difficult situation that we cannot easily extract ourselves from. We invested our trust in SADC and they have failed to deliver and to add insult to injury have endorsed Mbeki to continue with his mediation role.
Options are running out, and they are running out fast. Zanu PF are prepared to do everything it takes to maintain their stranglehold on power and are prepared take the country down with them. SADC’s stance has boosted Mugabe’s confidence and he is likely to proceed with the formation of a new government with or without Tsvangirai’s MDC.
Two options cropped up in the discussions I have had as a solution for the Zimbabwe situation, the popular one being the holding of internationally supervised elections to deal with the problem of legitimacy for once and for all. The other, the less popular route, is that which has ravaged the continent of Africa and caused unknown suffering to civilians caught in between the disagreeing parties: civil war.
The situation on the ground is unfortunately pointing in that direction for many as Zanu PF is increasingly becoming unreasonable in its actions, and only interested in protecting self-interests while ignoring the mass starvation and suffering that has been the sole result of its misdirected policies.
The people have trusted reputable bodies like SADC to deal with the Zimbabwean crisis, and the people are of the opinion that SADC has failed them and have completely lost all confidence in its ability to resolve the Zimbabwean deadlock. The AU is not much different from SADC and will also inevitably fail as it has already shown its impotence by failing to rebuke Mugabe for his post-election shenanigans and his actions to date that have gone against the spirit of the MOU.
A quick resolution is required as a matter of urgency as the country is about to head off on the path of destabilization and the writing is on the wall for everybody to see. The increasingly popular phrase “Africans solving African problems” has to be changed to “Africans covering up for Africa’s problems” - and it’s so sad, because millions of innocent Zimbabweans are suffering as Africa’s rulers try to protect the despot Robert Mugabe, a man who has systematically murdered persons opposed to his rule and looted the nation’s resources with the help of his cronies but still considered a hero amongst Africa’s rulers. God help us.
November 11th, 2008 14:18
The sad history of Africa repeats itself again.
How long before all the continent’s people wake up and fight back against presidents for life who care nothing about anyone but themselves. How soon before South African goes the same way? 20, 30 years at the most. The people of Zimbabwe have only themselves to blame.
November 11th, 2008 17:16
Whatever criticisms may be left at the door of Morgan Tsvangirai, I still take my hat off to him. To seek change the hard way; by peaceful, legal, and democratic means requires great spiritual strength and leadership. Up against a tyrannical regime that has not hesitated to use force and violence from day one against all who oppose them, and who has access to all the resources of the state while seeking to defend to the utmost their miserable hold on power, was never going to be a ‘pushover’.
After going through four elections, with all the attendant manipulation, rigging and violence of the electoral process, MDC succeeded in March’08 to defeat Zanu-PF. Whatever Zanu-PF have done since, and a lot of it was plain degenerate evil, no matter what they will do; nothing can erase that mantle of change, that seed of hope and determination, that start of a journey into sanity, and the fair and free horizon that is to come.