The devil de-horned: Vigil

It must have been wonderful to behold when, one by one, SADC leaders dozed off during Mugabe’s 45 minute rant as it became clear that the devil had been dehorned – clear if only because a senile Mugabe addressed Zuma as ‘Mandela’ and then, when apprised of his mistake, compounded it by assuming Mandela was dead. ‘God rest his soul’, he said. The Vigil wishes the same to Robert – as soon as possible.

SADC leaders made it obvious in Sandton that they have had enough of Mugabe’s prevarications. They are impatient to move on. As the Botswana Vice President Mompati Merafhe said, the region was sick and tired of the Zimbabwe problem. But what is not yet obvious is whether SADC has the bottle to deal with the problem.

A quick opinion survey at the Vigil – in between short, sharp showers – produced three alternatives. We quickly ruled out the first: that Mugabe would comply with SADC’s demand that he honour his obligations under the GPA by the next SADC meeting in Luanda in August.

(All Zimbabweans know this is out of the question, not least the GPA negotiators who rushed back to Harare and promptly decided to have a meeting . . . . next month.)

There was more debate about the so-called nuclear option: would Chiwenga decide to reject SADC? The military is stupid, yes – but this stupid?

But the third option, we decided as we dodged the showers, was the more likely – if only because it is what Zanu (PF) has always done: pretend to go along with the GPA while putting every obstacle in the way. So what can we expect? No-one can say that Zanu (PF) is not outrageous.

They could, for instance, arrest Tsvangirai for murdering Police Inspector Petros Mutedza in Mbare. After all they have arrested loads of other MDC people for it.

Anything to collapse the government so they can hold an ‘emergency election’ and – lo and behold – who will be pulled out of the hat blinking through his cataract eyes? Yes – that old devil!

For a Zanu (PF) view of the SADC developments from one of their many people in the UK the Vigil refers you to Lloyd Msipa. According to the UK Telegraph of December 4, 2010 ‘Two years ago Lloyd Msipa, a Zimbabwe-born approved adviser, was given a suspended prison sentence after charging people hundreds of pounds for advice he was not entitled to provide, while working for a not-for-profit voluntary organisation.’

Ephraim Tapa, has been elected President of the new Zimbabwe ‘Yes We Can’ Movement, which will meet on June 25 to agree a constitution and positions on issues.

Ephraim said how the movement developed depended on the response of ordinary Zimbabweans and what they wanted from it. People must realise they can make a difference and have the courage and confidence to act for REAL change. FOR THE RECORD: 87 signed the register.