Meanwhile, very little changes inside Zimbabwe. The police continue to be a law unto themselves and in the latest example of lawlessness, police officers have occupied a WOZA house in Bulawayo for six days now on the grounds that WOZA are concealing ‘subversive documents’ inside the house. WOZA served the police with High Court papers calling on them to leave the premises and preventing them from removing any property whatever from the place. The police reaction was to say that regardless of any court order they will continue to ‘guard’ the house from outside until they get their hands on Jenni Williams and search the house and vehicles parked in the yard. The matter is due to come before the court today, June 17th.
The police are of course part of the Security Sector reform that the MDC is demanding. Mugabe argues that such reform would usurp Zimbabwe’s sovereignty but the reality is that without control of the police and army Mugabe’s hold on power would be seriously eroded. Crisis in Zimbabwe reports that he is planning to deploy thousands of militia and military in the run-up to elections to intimidate the population, particularly in the rural areas, to vote Zanu PF. It is already happening if reports that soldiers are already beating up MDC supporters in Zvimba and Manicaland are anything to go by. The Attorney General has openly declared that he will continue to prosecute opposition members. In the same breath he says that the MDC should learn to respect him and his office; rather a strange request when he so clearly demonstrates his partiality for the former ruling party. Tendai Biti was once again under attack by mobs of Zanu PF youths this week following last week’s bomb attack on his home. This time it was dozens of militant youths who descended on Biti’s offices demanding that he sign the Anti-Sanctions Petition, something Biti categorically refused to do. With IMF and World Bank officials in the country it was an obvious propaganda move designed to prove that EU sanctions are hurting the population at large when we all know that it’s only the top echelons of Zanu who are affected. The EU however remains firm in their view that sanctions will remain in place until there is ‘real change’ in Zimbabwe. Discussions on the ‘road map’ to plot Zimbabwe’s future will apparently resume in July between Zanu PF and the MDC. Will ‘real change’ emerge from those discussions? Hard to believe when the situation on the ground remains as tense as ever; there are ongoing farm invasions and yesterday a group of Zanu officials accompanied by militant youths invaded Longville Ranch in Gwanda which is allegedly rich in gold deposits. Diamonds too, are still attracting unscrupulous investors from China and now Russia is getting in on the act. Zimbabwe has a stockpile of between 4 and 5 billions worth of the gemstones and the recent Chinese loan will be repaid over the next 20 years in diamonds. The combination of massive mineral wealth and acute political uncertainty does not seem to justify much hope for the future. GeoffreyVan Orden MEP refers to ‘glimmers of light’ when talking this week about the situation in Zimbabwe. He maintains that SADC has recognised the true nature of the situation in the country. That may be true but it certainly does not follow that regional leaders will follow through with concrete actions – including Monitors – to ensure that Mugabe fully implements the GPA .
Yours in the (continuing) struggle PH aka Pauline Henson author of the Dube books available from Lulu.com