Chamisa said if the party signed the power-sharing deal on the table it
would still not "have any real power" to help address the humanitarian
crisis.
As the cholera death toll crept near the 1,600 mark, clocking more than
40 deaths in two days, according to the World Health Organisation, aid
agencies underlined the need to end the months-long political
uncertainty which has made raising funds to help the country back on
its feet difficult.
At least 5.5 million people – over half the population – will need food
aid in the first quarter of 2009, according to the World Food
Programme.
The food security situation, cholera and political problems are
exacerbated by hyperinflation and widespread infrastructural collapse.
If we become part of the government now we will have no muscle. We are not yet empowered
A power-sharing deal brokered by the Southern African Development
Community (SADC) between the ruling ZANU-PF and the MDC in September
2008 is deadlocked.
The humanitarian situation is seriously affected by the political
situation, said Georges Tadonki, head of the UN Office for the
Coordination Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Zimbabwe. The UN is
working hard at all levels to reach a political settlement, which has
now become very urgent because of the cholera outbreak.
Power-sharing deal
SADC said the MDC must sign the power-sharing pact. Then the MDC will
be in a position to get the ball rolling to help the country out of the
humanitarian crisis which now needs urgent attention, said Thabo
Masebe, spokesman for South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, who is
also the SADC chairman.
Chamisa explained that an amendment to the constitution which will
bring into law the power-sharing deal signed between President Robert
Mugabe, leader of the ZANU-PF party; Morgan Tsvangirai, the MDC leader;
and Arthur Mutambara, an MDC breakaway party, in September 2008 will
only become effective after it has been endorsed by parliament, which
does not sit until 20 January.
If we become part of the government now we will have no muscle. We are
not yet empowered, said Chamisa. We do not want to become an
accessory to a government which has not shown any genuine willingness
to share power.
Abductions
The recent abduction of MDC activists apparently by the state security apparatus has also fuelled tensions.
Tsvangirai has said that he would ask his national council to vote to
walk away from the deal if the abductions of our party members and
activists do not cease and if all those seized by state agents have not
been released by 1 January, said Chamisa.
Jestina Mukoko, head of local rights group Zimbabwe Peace Project, who
had been reported missing since the beginning of December, and eight
other activists, were charged last week with recruiting Zimbabweans to
undergo military training to overthrow the Mugabe government. Despite a
High Court ruling to release the activists, they remained in custody.
Reacting to the failure to follow the ruling, Motlanthe's spokesman
Masebe said: We are saying the MDC must become part of the inclusive
government.
But at the heart of the MDC's reluctance to sign the deal is also the allocation of governors’ posts and key ministries.
All these issues can be resolved within minutes if there is political
willingness, said Chamisa. We want to be able to provide a real
change in governance and not become part of a symbolic act.