Minister of State Gorden Moyo, attached to the office of Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai, said the clock started on Monday for the turnaround
effort organized under five "clusters" including the economy, security,
infrastructure, social services, and interests and rights.
He said the Friday-Sunday retreat by cabinet ministers and their
deputies in the resort town of Victoria Falls, sponsored by the World
Bank and international donors, achieved its prime objective of
team-building between the government’s disparate political elements.
The unity government was formed in February by President Robert
Mugabe’s ZANU(PF) party and the Movement for Democratic Change formation
of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, with a smaller MDC formation led
by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara. The government resolved an
impasse following March 2008 elections which were followed by violence.
Few details were provided as to how the government would thaw a media
environment which has seen newspapers shuttered and journalists
harassed for most of the past decade. But the notion of media
liberalization received a public endorsement by Justice Minister
Patrick Chinamasa, who said a climate was sought "where divergent
voices will be heard."
It remains to be seen whether ZANU(PF), which controls the Information
Ministry, is ready to give up the state’s monopoly on domestic radio
and television broadcasts, or to accept the launch of a daily newspaper
which will aggressively cover and challenge authorities. Such a
newspaper, the Daily News, closed its doors in 2003 under state
pressure.
The cabinet also pledged to improve prison conditions. A recent
investigative report by South African television documented horrific
conditions inside Zimbabwe’s prisons and alleged that at least 20
prisoners were dying each day from malnutrition and disease.
Moyo told reporter Patience Rusere of VOA’s Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that
the government did not mean to say it would accomplish all of its
objectives within 100 days, merely take steps to launch a broad array
of initiatives essential to rebuilding and reactivating Zimbabwe.
Some observers voiced skepticism the government could achieve such
lofty goals, among them Earnest Mudzengi, director of the National
Constitutional Assembly, who questioned whether the ZANU(PF) component
of the government would support genuine reform.
Health Minister Henry Madzorera set his own 100-day target: bringing
the cholera epidemic that has claimed more than 400 lives in the
country to an end.
VOA News
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