Some officials who once helped bring him to power now believe the 84-year-old ruler cannot go it alone any longer and must conclude a power-sharing deal with his political rivals, if complete economic collapse is to be averted.
Edgar Tekere, a powerful figure in Zimbabwe’s nationalist leadership, and the founding secretary-general of Mugabe’s Zanu (PF), has urged the embattled leader to concede power to Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the majority faction of the MDC.
Negotiations between Mugabe and Tsvangirai remain deadlocked over the central issue of which man should wield the real executive power.
Tsvangirai wants to hand-pick a coalition cabinet, as well as powers to hire and fire non-performing ministers. He wants Mugabe to move to a ceremonial role – a demand the president has rejected.
Economists say international support for the beleaguered Zimbabwean economy is unlikely to be forthcoming without a political settlement.
Tekere warned the veteran ruler that he should talk less and do more for his country.
 “Inflation won’t be resolved through slogans and political manipulation,” Tekere said.
Mugabe, as sole candidate in the presidential run-off stood on a populist ticket, promising to eradicate poverty, improve living standards and tackle unemployment. Now he is being challenged to deliver on those promises.
Analysts, opposition politicians, and even some Zanu (PF) leaders believe he has concentrated too much on fiery anti-western speeches and not enough on the realities at home, and have become increasingly aggressive in calling him to account.
The president’s claim that he is not responsible for the economic meltdown is now being denounced from all sides.
Official figures for June show that prices of basic commodities and services doubled in the course of three weeks, while overall year-on-year inflation was running at a minimum of a staggering 11.2 million per cent. Economists at the private firm Kingdom Financial Holdings insist the real inflation rate is closer to 20 million per cent.
Zimbabwean economist Tony Hawkins has accused Mugabe of economic mismanagement by printing too much money, placing too much reliance on imported goods and sourcing cash from the domestic market to pay for the government’s day-to-day expenditure.
“Profligate printing of money by the government is driving inflation in Zimbabwe to unprecedented levels,” Hawkins said. – IWPR
Members of parliament interviewed by the state broadcaster after the swearing-in ceremony on August 25 were unanimous in declaring that their Your browser may not support display of this image.main concern would be to improve the lives of Zimbabweans by resuscitating the moribund economy.
In the streets, there was subdued excitement after MDC candidate Lovemore Moyo was elected as speaker of the lower house of parliament, also on August 25.
Many Zimbabweans said they were waiting for the day when the country’s main political opposition would be totally in charge, without having to make any concessions to Mugabe.
However, many also expressed fears that given the discord so evident at the opening of parliament, as well as Mugabe’s insistence on retaining executive power, the country’s governing institutions are far from being in any state to address the country’s economic crisis.
The MDC maintains that there is no hope of economic resuscitation until Mugabe steps down – a view shared by the European Union and the United States, who have pledged to deliver an economic rescue package to a government led by Tsvangirai.
In Mugabe’s speech at the opening of parliament on August 26, which was drowned out by heckling and protests from the main faction of the MDC, he noted that reconvening the legislature presented an opportunity to rebuild the economy.
This acknowledgement seemed to amount to a tacit admission that he would not be able to solve the country’s economic woes without the MDC.
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Mugabe lashed out at the previous cabinet, which he appointed and which presided over the economic meltdown, calling it “the worst in the country’s history.”
However, others lay blame for the country’s financial troubles with central bank chief Gono, who for years has been portrayed by critics as the country’s de facto prime minister. When he was inaugurated as governor of the central bank more than five years ago, Gono declared that inflation was public enemy number one. Now he is lampooned by economists and cartoonists alike as a failure, favoured by the executive because he has Mugabe’s support. The president has said in the past that he does not wish to hear any criticism of his banker. – IWPR
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