In an exclusive interview with The Zimbabwean this week, Gabriel
Shumba, who is also the Director of the Zimbabwe Exiles Forum (ZEF),
described as unfortunate recent comments by the Elders and mediator,
Thabo Mbeki, that the MDC should first form the unity government and
negotiate the power imbalance later.  Â
"There is absolutely no justification for putting pressure on the MDC,
the party that won the elections, and is in no way responsible for the
worsening crisis in Zimbabwe, said Shumba.
The crisis was authored, in some instances deliberately, as a means to
the end of power by Robert Mugabe and ZANU (PF). They however, remain
defiant and unrepentant in the face of such endless suffering and I
think it is an indictment of the weakness of our regional and
international institutions that the world appears helpless to deal with
the monster that is the ZANU (PF) dictatorship, whilst finding a
convenient scapegoat in the MDC," he added. Â
Shumba's comments came after two of the Elders – former United States
President, Jimmy Carter and Mozambican social activist Graca Machel,
when briefing South African journalists in Johannesburg , urged the MDC
to enter into a compromise deal with ZANU (PF) and try and resolve
their differences from within government ranks.
If there are any obvious inequities subsequently in the proper sharing
or dividing of power they can be corrected some of them at least not
only by immediate changes to the law but over a period of time, until
a new constitution was in place or over the next 18 months, Carter
said.
As we stand, the institutions of power are in certain hands. You have
to work with those hands to open them and release it, said Machel.
However, Shumba, who has also been a victim of Mugabe's political violence on opposing views, said that this was unworkable.
Mugabe’s track records of mala fides in any negotiations are record
breaking. I therefore would not advise them (MDC) to enter into this
arrangement before all important issues are agreed to and legally cast
in stone. Unilateral appointments and fraudulent alteration of the
agreement are some of the recent actions by ZANU (PF) from which the
MDC should learn lessons said the human rights lawyer.Â
The best thing for Zimbabweans is a transitional structure towards
free and fair elections. However, this has to be augmented by
international humanitarian intervention to alleviate the continued
suffering of the people, he added.
By Ellis Ncube
Post published in: Politics