Confrontation at last

People have been particularly outspoken since Tokyo Sexwales declaration of ANC solidarity with Mugabes Zanu (PF) in early December. We are one he is reported to have said at ZANUs congress in Harare.

This comment appears in Donwald Presslys column Inside Parliament (Business Report, Monday 11 January). He enumerates the inactivity of the South African authorities in the face of widespread human rights and administrative abuses in Zimbabwe and in protecting the rights of the huge numbers of its citizens seeking refuge from those abuses in this country.

It is the ordinary honest people that bear the brunt of the sheer stupidity of (South Africas) foreign policy stance.

One has to question whether this stance is sheer stupidity or the logical outcome of regional Realpolitik. It has become abundantly clear that the ruling elites of SADC have been deeply concerned at the appearance in 1999 of the MDC in Zimbabwe.

Described by Moeletsi Mbeki as the first real renaissance political party in the region, the MDC has shown repeatedly over the past decade to have the allegiance of the majority of that countrys population. Its ascendancy to government and running a successful state would profoundly encourage opposition elsewhere in SADC.

Zanu (PF)s campaign of violence and political fraud has effectively prevented this. There is no other explanation for condoning this massive humanitarian and economic meltdown, even inside this country, than the political fear of a truly democratic revival in the region. BALT VERHANGEN, Bramley

A stunning resemblance

EDITOR – Has any other reader of ***The Zimbabwean noticed the stunning resemblance between the loathsome Dr Jonathan Moyo and the green monster of chaos – The Mekon – who was hell-bent on destroying the universe in the children’s newspaper “The Eagle”?

I think Jonathan has been unfairly described in some newspapers as Zimbabwe’s answer to Dr Joseph Goebbels or Robert Mugabe’s very own Vicar of Bray and I hope, from now onwards, he will be described in your esteemed paper as ‘Mekon Moyo.’ TREVOR GRUNDY, Kent

Open letter to Jacob Zuma

EDITOR – This letter represents my personal views as an individual and not MDC SA province. As a spokesman of MDC SA I have to distinguish clearly between the Partys position and my individual opinion about a particular subject.

I was personally shocked to read Zumas recent statement, where he asked MDC president Morgan Tswangirai to be flexible. Zuma seems to be suggesting that Tswangirais flexibility should manifest itself through dropping his demand for the exodus AG, Johannes Tomana and Reserve Bank Governor, Gideon.

Zumas utterance I suppose is informed by the idea that two senior civil servants cannot be a spanner in the works of the Inclusive government.

This is however a disturbing reading of the situation. Tomana and Gono are not simply targeted as individuals. Zuma should have looked at this issue with a broad view. The MDCs principal concern in Zimbabwe is the restoration of the rule of law. MDC is worried about the selective application of the law by the AGs office. Tomana, a war veteran was specifically parachuted to the AGs office from oblivion with the sole mandate to use his prosecutorial powers as a weapon to fight MDC. This is straightforward. Tomana is not even denying this. He is not complex about it. This explains why he took it upon himself to personally prosecute MDC Treasurer-General Roy Bennet. There is no debate or doubt about this. This is very clear even for a blind man to see. There is no way one anyone can be comfortable being head of a government whose prosecutorial office is busy purging his lieutenants. Zuma should know this.

Honestly President Zuma no-one expected you to either give Bulelani Ngquka or Vusi Pikoli back the stinging powers at the National Prosecution Authority. The two went after your skin and their prosecutorial independence was highly comprised. You even replaced the commissioner of the police Selebi with Bheki Cele. NIA went to Mo Shaik. Compromising the office of AG in the name of flexibility is just the same as compromising sex in a marriage.

Gono committed the worst monetary offence in the world by presiding over an economy whose inflation was hovering around a trillion percent. President Zuma, tell me of any serious investor who has faith in Gono? His case is second to none. This is the first of its own kind. The economy of Zimbabwe cant afford to have Gono at the helm of RBZ even for a day. Why should we recycle failures when the country is awash with economic pundits?

I expected Zuma to request Zanu (PF) to stop attracting sanctions by engaging in undemocratic practices, invading farms and looting state resources.

One would have expected Zuma to tell Mugabe that MDC does not control the foreign policies of EU countries and USA. I am shocked that Zuma missed an opportunity to whisper to Mugabe that Zimbabwe Independent radio stations SW Africa and the America based studio 7 were owned by private media companies and not the MDC. This is as idiotic as asking another Zimbabwe opposition party, PF ZAPU to close down South Africa based e-tv.

Zuma should appreciate that MDC is 10 times more flexible than he thinks. Imagine that MDC won the elections, but made the decision to go into government with Zanu (PF) losers and the Welshman Ncube breakaway. It is even a sign of extreme flexibility that Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe today. It is flexibility that Welshman Ncube, (your in-law) is a minister today in Zimbabwe. It is serious flexibility that Aurthur Mutambara is the Vice-Prime Minister of Zimbabwe. SIBANENGI DUBE, by e-mail