Working at cross purposes

But what is not forgivable is this cynical attempt by President Robert
Mugabe to insist on doing things the old way, to work at cross purposes
with his co-principals in the unity government and indeed against the
majority of Zimbabweans – including a significant number of members of
his own Zanu (PF) party – who yearn for a new beginning.

To urge – as Mugabe did last week – common criminals and other
hooligans masquerading as war veterans or land hungry peasants to loot
productive farms under the guise of land reform is utterly reckless
coming from a man of his age and one presiding over a starving nation
such as Zimbabwe.

Mugabe told thousands of his supporters at a lavish feast to mark his
85th birthday – itself an obscenity in the midst of all this hunger –
that regardless of the new inclusive government nothing much had
changed in Zimbabwe.

Mugabe boasted that he remained in control, that he planned to seize
more commercial farms and to push for local blacks to take controlling
stake in foreign-owned firms in Zimbabwe, a euphemism to mean that he
intends to extend to industry the same chaos that destroyed agriculture
with so much painful consequences for all of us.

Encouraged by Mugabe's utterances Zanu (PF) mobs have continued to
invade farms, loot property and disrupt production with impunity.

In his inaugural address to Parliament, Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai said US$150 million worth of crops could be lost because of
violence on farms.

In addition, Tsvangirai said the international community would not
provide financial support to Zimbabwe until we return to rule of law
and respect for property rights.

But all this is obviously of little concern to Mugabe whose main
pre-occupation these days seems to want to prove that he alone remains
in charge of Zimbabwe.

To prove his point that no one tells him what to do – just in case
there are some who may doubt him – Mugabe has refused to fire
controversial Attorney General Johannes Tomana and central bank chief
Gideon Gono and replace them with individuals acceptable to all
partners in the unity government as requested by his co-principals.

Elsewhere, Mugabe's followers, apparently emboldened by their leader's
defiance of the new order, have held scores of MDC party activists
including Roy Bennett in jail on clearly trumped up treason and
banditry charges.

They have delayed and in some cases blocked court orders to release the
accused on bail in the full knowledge that they will never be held
accountable for their actions – which is true for as long as their man
is in power.

But, if we may offer a word of advice, the day of reckoning may yet come in the fullness of time.