From the word go, Zanu (PF) has been in self-preservation mode. They are only interested in saving their own skins and their ill-gotten gains. The people don’t matter. They have never mattered.
You only have to look around at the suffering of ordinary Zimbabweans, those in the rural areas reduced to eating roots and wild fruit, while those in the cities die of cholera and other preventable diseases.
Everywhere people have been forced to stand by helplessly, watching their children suffer and die because of Zanu (PF)’s selfish policies and heartless lust for power and riches.
The language coming out of Zanu (PF) is quite clear – they have no intention of implementing the power-sharing agreement signed on September 15. They only signed that agreement so that Mugabe would once again be recognised as the legitimate president of Zimbabwe, and be able to swan around the world to meetings of heads of state. That is all that matters.
This logjam over the ministries was created deliberately by Mugabe and his henchmen. They have never wanted the talks to succeed. The widely-touted excuse that they are terrified of prosecution if the ministry of home affairs goes to MDC is nothing but a red herring.
The minister of home affairs, on his own, does not have the power to sack the partisan police commissioner and his henchmen – this is a presidential appointment. And in any case the commissioner reports to the president – not to the minister. So there is no way an MDC minister of home affairs could order the police to arrest and prosecute senior members of Zanu (PF) for their massive corruption and multiple crimes against humanity.
If they really wanted to break the logjam it would cost them nothing to let MDC have the ministry of home affairs. But they don’t want to. And of course Thabo Mbeki is colluding with them on this.
The issue of Morgan Tsvangirai’s passport, or lack of one, is another case in point. We all know that a shortage of paper is not the issue here. The issue is power. It always has been.
If any further proof was needed, a quick perusal of the state-controlled newspapers says it all – in particular the nauseating columns penned by Mugabe’s spokesman George Charamba.
The MDC has compromised all it can. They need to stick to their guns now. If the power-sharing deal is to collapse over this – so be it. The blame lies firmly with Mugabe and Zanu (PF).
Post published in: Football