This has sparked an outcry from Zimbabweans who say these are misplaced
priorities of a bloated and bankrupt government. The last two months
have brought some small socio economic changes, like the return of
basic commodities to shop shelves, but most people can't afford to buy
it. The coalition says it has no money to pay workers better salaries,
yet it is uprooting an entire government – which includes 71 ministers
and deputies – to an expensive resort town for a working retreat.
Journalist Tanonoka Whande asks: "Are Robert Mugabe and Morgan
Tsvangirai asking SADC for money to entertain this bloated government's
ministers, their deputies and permanent secretaries at Victoria Falls?
What is at Victoria Falls that cannot be solved by a memo to all
ministries? What is wrong with the Masasa Training Centre? Or even the
Quality Inn in Harare? The government of national unity is asking the
world for money and yet they are already spending it on themselves
before that money is even received on behalf of the people."
A statement by the MDC information department said the retreat will be
"officially opened by the President, Cde Robert Gabriel Mugabe, the
retreat will be presided over by the Prime Minister, Mr Morgan
Tsvangirai, and attended by all cabinet ministers, their deputies and
Permanent Secretaries." The Prime Minister's office said the retreat
was to come up with a clear plan of action for the first 100 days of
the power sharing government. But Whande says: "And the MDC now
suddenly calls the murderer Mugabe "Comrade" and they go on a jaunt at
Victoria Falls, calling it a retreat. Tsvangirai should show more
sensitivity than this. The least he can do is to dress up all those
so-called ministers into overalls and put them to work. The MDC has
become a clone of Zanu PF. What the hell is going on now? I can't
believe this." It was never going to be easy for Tsvangirai to go into
a coalition government with the man responsible for murder, mayhem and
the destruction of the entire country, and it is not surprising that
many Zimbabweans are concerned. For the majority of people there has
been little change in their lives and all they see is that Mugabe still
holds the reins of power. On Tuesday night a shocking documentary was
shown on South African television. The film showed how Zimbabwe's
prisoners are literally rotting and starving to death, how bodies are
piling up in makeshift prison mortuaries. Wouldn't this be a time for
the MDC in the new government to cancel the retreat, take the money
that was going to be used, buy the food that is freely available in the
shops and actually go and feed the people who are dying?
Whande said: "The MDC cannot continue pleasing Zanu PF at the expense
of the people and the mandate given it by those citizens." The MDC have
been telling the public that there are fundamental issues that remain
unresolved, such as the issue of appointments of permanent secretaries
and governors. And yet we have seen Zanu PF appointed governors
continue to operate as if the issue has been resolved. It is the same
governors who have been briefing the Minister of Lands about the
situation on farms, and just this weekend some of the governors told
the state controlled Sunday Mail newspaper that there were no new farm
invasions, while new invasions were actually taking place throughout
the weekend. This was two days after Tsvangirai had called for an end
to the illegal activities and the continuing attack on agriculture and
property rights. Critics say the MDC is in danger of losing credibility
if they don't urgently start doing things differently to Zanu PF.
SWRadio AFRICA
Post published in: News