Our lives have not really improved

We still have the same old guard dictating on matters of national importance, and the stranglehold on power by the Mugabe party has not abated at all. We may now have a Prime Minister and two DPMs but the truth of the matter is that our lives have not improved to any meaningful degree since February this year. We can safely argue that Zimbabwe is now being governed by a minority government which lost its majority in the March 2008 elections.
The Head of State is the man who lost the presidential election and the winner of that contest has little power in matters of national governance. Security forces are still hostile to civilians and being protected from the law by Zanu (PF) as in the past. Gono is still at the RBZ even though the national coffers are now empty, thanks to him and his bosses of the outgoing regime.
True, most schools and hospitals are now functioning, albeit with very limited resources. The University of Zimbabwe is now open but with only 50% of its normal intake of students as well as a drastically reduced faculty. Water is still a serious problem at the Mount Pleasant campus and there is a real danger of an outbreak of diseases.
Medical doctors are on strike for better wages and school teachers are threatening to follow suit as soon as the third term of the year commences in September. What, if we may ask, has the inclusive government achieved so far? The answer is precious little.
Mugabe and Zanu (PF) are desperate to prevent the return of this country to the democratic path. They are aware that democracy would bury them in the deepest political grave that has ever been dug. They are aware that the generality of the people of this country have written them off as political liabilities that cannot and shall not be allowed to win an election ever again. The only way they can ever win again will be through violence and intimidation.
News that the National Security Council finally met a few weeks ago should not fool us to believe that security forces are beginning to see the light. On the contrary, this should make us even more concerned about our safety.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that violence related to the constitutional process is planned by Zanu (PF) for September this year, unless the Parliamentary Select Committee agrees to adopt the Chinamasa drawn Kariba Draft as the only reference document to be used in the process.
The people of this country will never accept that piece of rubbish as the basis of our foundation law, come rain, come sunshine. If the three principals fail to some sensible agreement on this issue then the whole constitutional process, and indeed, the GPA itself are in jeopardy.
Here again, the people that know their rights must stand firm and say NO to the desperados in the outgoing political party, Zanu (PF).
What should the MDC be doing right now? They should be working even harder than before reconstructing the party from the grassroots upwards. Zanu (PF) no longer has any grassroots; they have all switched to the MDC, but they need to be organized and enlightened between now and the next election.
MDC senior members that are not in Cabinet should busy themselves with meetings, political rallies and other public mobilization activities throughout the country in order to ensure that the people do not feel that the party has now lifted above them and is enjoying the powers of governance. The peoples party must stay the course.