HARARE Zimbabwe civic society groups say the are increasingly losing confidence in the power-sharing governments ability to solve the countrys problems because of the administrations failure to quicken implementation of necessary political reforms. (Pictured: PRESIDENT MUGABE . . . formed a unity government with the opposition in February)The inclusive government is gradually eroding our confidence in the arrangements ability to solve the problems that the country faces, newly elected Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CZC) chairman Jonah Gokova said at the weekend.
The CZC is a coalition of human and civic rights groups, churches, womens groups, labour and student movements that have campaigned for a peaceful and democratic settlement of Zimbabwes political crisis.
The pressure group said that the solution to Zimbabwes problems should not be left to the three political parties President Robert Mugabes ZANU PF and the two MDC parties led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Premier Arthur Mutambara who signed the Global Political Agreement (GPA) that gave birth to the unity government in February.
Our crisis is a crisis of governance and can not be resolved by political engagement alone but through an all inclusive process that involves all citizens of Zimbabwe, Gokova told the organisations annual general meeting in Harare.
Zimbabwes unity government that is seen as offering the country the best opportunity in a decade to wriggle out of economic and political crisis has done well to stabilise the economy and end inflation that was estimated at more than a trillion percent at the height of the countrys economic meltdown last year.
But analysts remain doubtful about the administrations long-term effectiveness, citing unending squabbles between ZANU PF and MDC as well as by the coalition governments inability to secure direct financial support from rich Western nations.
Tsvangirais MDC party accuses Mugabe of flouting the GPA as shown by the veteran leaders refusal to rescind his unilateral appointment of two of his alleged cronies to the key posts of central bank governor and attorney general.
The government has also failed to implement key reforms such as the appointment of a new independent media commission and bringing an end to assault on political and human rights.
But on the other hand ZANU PF insists it has done the most to uphold the power-sharing deal and instead accuses the MDC of reneging on promises to campaign for lifting of Western sanctions on Mugabe and his top allies.
Post published in: News