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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Patience is running out
I know little of the thought process that drives Zanu PF but someone needs
to tell them for their own sake that they are now taking things too far.
First they loose an election, then, once they had persuaded regional leaders
to let them have another go, they run a campaign and is so distorted by
rigging and manipulation that not even their friends will acknowledge that
the election was 'free and fair'.
Then they insist, in the midst of a nation wide shortage of food that there
is no crisis - food is available. Now the acting Minister of Health is
saying that there is no health crisis - when even his own officials are
admitting 300 deaths and thousands of cases of Cholera. It's a rerun of the
play where the King has no clothes but is persuaded by his minions to
believe that he is superbly dressed and he parades naked down the street
mocked even by the children.
This week the leader of the Zanu PF negotiating team in the SADC talks,
wrote to the South African 'President' Thabo Mbeki enclosing 4 copies of a
draft amendment to the national constitution that he claims was 'drafted by
the 'Government of Zimbabwe' and would he please circulate this to the three
parties in Zimbabwe for their consideration. Bizarre!
When we finally got hold of a copy of the draft we find that it still
reflects the changes that Zanu PF unilaterally inserted to the Global
Political Agreement that was finalised on the 11th September and then
foisted onto the MDC at the signing ceremony on the 15th September. It also
differs in a number of respects from that agreement and is clearly designed,
once again, to protect Zanu PF hold on power and the position of the
President in the new dispensation.
In other words; no change in the stance from the one that has effectively
held up the implementation of the deal for over two months. Now on Saturday
morning they deny entry visas for a group that includes the former Secretary
General of the United Nations, a former President of the United States and
the wife of Nelson Mandela that wanted to visit Zimbabwe to assess the
humanitarian crisis.
In the meantime the food crisis deepens; the water shortages in urban areas
takes a turn for the worse and untreated water is circulated in major urban
areas where Cholera is taking on epidemic proportions. Inflation continues
to spiral out of control and is destroying what is left of savings and
capital stock and leading to the closure of remaining companies.
They are still printing m money, still looting what is left in the coffers,
still in denial and still organising disappearances and killings and
beatings and torture. Someone not connected to the political situation said
to me ' does Zanu PF not understand that every time they do these things,
they get weaker and less able to protect what is left of their safety and
heritage?' I must say that is very perceptive.
I expect the talks to resume on Wednesday this week, they seem to go on
forever and we must be getting close point where we must say 'enough is
enough'. If Zanu PF does not agree pretty quickly to the amendments required
to give effect to the GPA and still insists on an inequitable distribution
of ministerial portfolios, let alone the allocation of governor posts and
diplomats then we must ask what next? Do we go back to the electoral system
and hold fresh elections?
That is what many people are saying including some regional leaders. If we
could get reasonable conditions for such a poll and strictly neutral
management and supervision of the poll, that it would resolve the crisis
once and for all. MDC would win by a wide margin and we could then get on
with the task of putting Zimbabwe back on its feet without the complicating
presence of the remnants of Zanu PF.
We could also deal with the perpetrators of the recent violence and
historical injustices without any fetters. Does Zanu PF really want that for
themselves? If they do not then its time they got on with the task of
setting up a government in terms of the deal they have already signed and
show no signs of respecting. MDC just wants to see the suffering of the
people brought to an end and the real problems of the country addressed. But
we are not going to go down the road that Zanu PF forced on Zapu in 1987.
In the mean time it has started raining - we have had widespread rains and
the veld is greening up and trees starting the come into leaf and flower.
This is a wonderful time of the year in Zimbabwe after 7 months of dry
weather and recent heat. The only trouble is that land preparation and
planting has never been as restricted as it has this year. Farmers have no
inputs, no fuel and little incentive to do anything. If they do produce they
are paid nothing, forced to sell to state agencies and maybe even have their
crops confiscated. Farm invasions continue - even as remaining farmers try
desperately to plant new crops.
The R300 million grant made available by South Africa for input supplies has
been frozen until a new government is formed and in any case was going to be
wasted on the Zanu PF heavies who purport to be farmers on their stolen
properties. This means that we will need food assistance for the net year on
a scale similar to this year - about 1,4 million tonnes of cereals. Hunger
stalks the land and we are now hearing reports of death from hunger plus of
course deaths from Cholera, Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Although they were not allowed into Zimbabwe, the three 'Elders' would have
received a good briefing in South Africa on the crisis and will go away with
a clear understanding of the magnitude of the problem. I only hope that
their visit, although not intended to do so, will result is real pressure on
the Parties to wrap up the talks on the formation of a new government so
that we can start putting things back together again. I have been through
the draft of Amendment number 19 and found that if it is finally admitted
into law and accurately reflects the GPA, it could give us a workable
government. Perhaps that's the best we could ask for right now.
Eddie Cross
Bulawayo, 24th November 2008
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