2008 Articles 25 Dec Kingdom Come 21 Dec Christmas 15 Dec Step Forward 5 Dec Beginning 1 Dec Amendment 30 Nov Facilitation 26 Nov Genocide 24 Nov Running Out 17 Nov Crisis 15 Nov Somalia 12 Nov What Next? 8 Nov Leadership 2 Nov Chipo 1 Nov Rome Burns 29 Oct Failure 25 Oct High Noon 19 Oct Never Easy 10 Oct Abyss 8 Oct Filibustering 4 Oct Chaos in Zim 29 Sept A Mule? 21 Sept On Step 16 Sept The End 12 Sept New Beginning 11 Sept Deal? 6 Sept Consequences 3 Sept Need a Deal 2 Sept Dollar Died 31 Aug Steering 29 Aug Unstuck 23 Aug Betrayed 18 Aug The Devil 13 Aug 13 Aug 08 12 Aug Today 11 Aug Cliffhanger 8 Aug Whats Going On 27 Jul Progress 22 Jul Agree to talk 21 Jul Mbeki kicks 16 Jul Crunch Time 13 Jul Economics 9 Jul Reality Looms 2 Jul Where? 30 Jun Looking Glass 26 Jun Battle 22 Jun What Now? 21 Jun The Commitment 16 Jun Do or Die 13 Jun Morning After 10 Jun Closing Doors 26 May Current Outlook 24 May Fan Club 19 May Tyranny 17 May End Game 15 May Flushing 8 May Violence 6 May Bizarre Process 25 Apr Cornered 20 Apr Electoral Fraud 19 Apr Jesse 17 Apr This Farce 11 Apr The Devil 6 Apr Wounded Buffalo 1 Apr Dying Kick 31 Mar Politcl Tsunami 27 Mar Current Situ. 26 Mar 4 days to go 21 Mar 8 days to go 15 Mar Election Time 27 Feb Games Begin 17 Feb Public Office 11 Feb Choices 4 Feb Decision Time 26 Jan Ambushed 25 Jan The Struggle 20 Jan Truth or Fiction 12 Jan Mugabe Mistake 8 Jan Surprise 2 Jan Kenya Lessons
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One Step Forward?
It seems like a year since the SADC brokered deal was eventually signed. The
ceremony itself was an opportunity to see into the future. It was not
encouraging, in fact daunting in every way. Coming after the opening of
Parliament where it was clear to any observer that the gap between the MDC
benches and Zanu PF was enormous. The MDC team generally young, poor and
angry, the Zanu benches arrogant, fat, aging and apprehensive.
I said last week that the new transitional government would place a huge
burden of responsibility for leadership on the part of Morgan Tsvangirai.
Nothing made that more clear than the signing ceremony itself. When Ian
Khama arrived the crowd outside (90 per cent MDC and numbering several
thousand) gave him a rousing welcome. In the hall he was greeted with a
chant of 'Khama, Khama, Khama!' When Robert Mugabe arrived he was greeted
with derision and the singing of songs from the struggle of the past 10
years. Inside the hall he was booed and heckled.
The speeches were instructive - Mr. Mugabe leaning on the podium for
support, ranted against the British and Americans and spoke for maybe 40
minutes in a rambling, confused historical diatribe. Mr. Mutambara
demonstrated, yet again, that he is totally out of his depth in this
political game - even the BBC, covering the event secretly in the hall,
switched him off. Mr. Tsvangirai spoke for about 15 minutes, a clear outline
of the way forward and a call to work together for the sake of the country.
There could have been no doubt in the minds of any of those present as to
who the real leader was on that stage.
It was a moment of triumph for Mr. Mbeki - one that came many years later
than it should have, mainly because of his own reluctance to deal with the
issues surrounding the resolution of the crisis in Zimbabwe, but eventually,
it was here. He then flew home to run into the media storm that followed the
Zuma Judgment the week before. At the subsequent gathering of the ANC
leadership he was forced into a humiliating resignation. After a lifetime of
struggle against apartheid and leadership responsibility from 1994 to 2008 -
14 years, it was a shame that he should go like this - but he had created
the conditions for his political demise. Despite that, it must be
acknowledged that the new South Africa - a remarkable creation knowing the
background; is largely his work and he will always be remembered for that
achievement.
When Mr. Mbeki left Harare he must have thought that his job was done and he
could now concentrate on his own back yard. He had put many days into the
negotiation and had left his home turf neglected at a crucial time for him.
No sooner had he departed however, than Zanu started to play their old game.
Always adept at seeming to accept the situation that confronted them and
then turning back on their word and doing the opposite. That happened in
2000 when they lost the referendum - Mr. Mugabe came on national television
and radio and stated that he 'accepted' the will of the people. He then
unleashed a campaign of terror and intimidation that has lasted 8 years and
claimed hundreds of lives and brought the economy to its knees.
This time he signed the deal after 18 months of tortuous negotiations and
many set backs.
He did so in front of the whole world and in the presence of his colleagues
in the SADC region. We expected talks the following day to form a
government, a swearing in ceremony on Thursday and to start work on Monday.
Remember we have not had a proper government for 6 months so we thought the
question of speed would be paramount.
It was not to be - the MDC leadership had cleared the deal that had been
negotiated with their national leadership on Sunday and then signed, Mr.
Mugabe took the deal to his leadership the day after he had signed. The
Politburo was furious and what was meant to be a short meeting turned into a
daylong marathon - all else forgotten. The Service Chiefs (the much feared
and despised JOC) did not attend the signing ceremony on Monday and we heard
rumors of troop movements and the mobilisation of recently disbanded militia
camps. The atmosphere in Harare tensed significantly.
When Wednesday came and went with the Zanu PF Central Committee in session
all day and no attempt to hold discussions on the formation of a new
government with their new partners in Government, Mr. Mbeki was forced to
step into the ring again. As a result, the talks on forming a new government
started at about 11.00 hrs on Thursday. By mid afternoon it was clear no
deal with possible at the level of the three leaders. Mr. Mugabe, threatened
by the harsh reaction of his own Party to the deal, tried to recover some
political ground by demanding that Zanu PF take the key Ministries. That was
never a possibility and eventually Mr. Tsvangirai told the other two that he
was referring the matter to the regional mediators. The South African
leadership was briefed and it is hoped that the three negotiating teams will
meet shortly to pick up from where the Monday ceremony had left them. There
is the immediate problem of mediation with the SA government in chaos and
the likely resignation of both Mbeki and the Minister of Labour who has been
so instrumental in the negotiations so far.
Oblivious to the suffering of the people of Zimbabwe and the escalating
economic and social crisis, Mugabe then simply packed his bags and departed
for the UN General Assembly in New York with an entourage of 40 plus his
wife and taking with them a pile of US dollars to spend on 10 days of luxury
and completely unproductive personal extravagance. A last chance to feed his
ego and we dread what he will have to say in New York, probably just more of
the same old diatribe. That will do nothing to help us get the situation
here under control and the country back on track.
So now we wait for the allocation of Ministries to be agreed and then - we
hope at the end of this coming week, we will have the swearing in of the new
Council of Ministers and Cabinet and on the following Monday we can start
work.
We are confronted with a crisis in every sphere of national life. Cities
without water, roads falling apart, railways not functioning, empty grain
silos and no preparations for the new cropping season, a restive and badly
paid army with guns and ammunition, collapsed and bankrupt firms in the
private sector, a malfunctioning finance system with teetering banking
institutions and a bruised and battered population that is bitter and angry.
And it all hangs on a small team of 34 individuals - many of whom have never
been in government before and who have been at each other throats for much
of the past 20 years. Even more it depends on the skills and leadership of
one man - Morgan Tsvangirai. I think it is quite clear that the other two
leaders, Robert Mugabe and Arthur Mutambara have nothing to offer in this
situation, they are really part of the problem, not the solution. It is an
awesome responsibility. Pray for him and his team as they start out on this
difficult and hazardous journey.
Eddie Cross
Bulawayo, 21st September 2008
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