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Eddie Cross's Website

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Eddie Cross - Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

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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2004-01

       

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