Masvingo-Zimbabwe- 300km South East of the capital, Harare, in the town of Masvingo, supporters of Movement for Democratic Change leader, Morgan Tsvangirai braved the oppressive heat in the middle of this summer season, to attend a political rally and listen to the words of hope from their leader. Majority Zimbabweans continue to bear the brunt a political and economic mess currently gripping the nation for close to a decade. It, being a Sunday and a non-business day, the close to 8,000 MDC supporters, like many Zimbabweans have the day to temporarily relax from the what has become the daily straining life of queuing at banks from Monday to Saturday, shoving, pushing and stampeding to withdraw the daily maximum 50,000 Zimbabwean dollars, that can only buy two loaves of bread.
Last Sunday, the MDC leader addressed his supporters in the capital Harare and threatened to pull out of the power sharing deal after 84-year-old Robert Mugabe had unilaterally allocated cabinet posts, awarding his Zanu PF party “key ministries” of Defence, Home Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Information, Local government and Justice.
After an outcry from the MDC, SADC appointed mediator to the talks, former South African president Thabo Mbeki, flew to Harare last Monday and was closed in during a series of meetings with the three protagonists, Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Mutambara at Rainbow Towers Hotel, but nothing fruitful came out of the deadlock and the matter has now been referred to the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Troika meeting in Mbabane, Swaziland.
This Sunday, Tsvangirai told his supporters in Masvingo, that he is confident that the allocation of ministries would be finalized at the meeting of the SADC organ on politics, Defence and Security.
“Let’s go to SADC… We said this issue should be finalized there. This time we won’t fail,” said Tsvangirai.
Mbeki is expected to present results of his facilitation to the Troika.
Filled with such optimism in resolving the political impasse, dragging in being ended after Zanu PF and the two MDC formations signed the power sharing agreement more than a month ago, on 15 September, the 56 year old MDC leader strongly believes the bickering over sharing cabinet posts should be ended soon and that it is a “stupid debate.”
Said Tsvangirai: “The sooner we put finality to this stupid debate about the allocation of power the better.”
Under the deal the MDC combined should get 16 cabinet posts and Zanu PF 15.
Today as the three protagonists are expected to meet in Swaziland at the SADC summit, it is yet to be seen if the allocation of ministries will be resolved once and for all. Many Zimbabweans have lost hope with the power sharing deal between Zanu PF and the two MDC formations. Resilient and patient as has become their nature, the populace in this once prosperous Southern African country go about their lives, enduring the worst economic meltdown since Zimbabwe gained political independence from British colonial rule 28 years ago. Inflation is at a record 231 million percent, 80 percent plus of the population is not formally employed; there is rampant food crisis, with starvation and malnutrition in most parts of the country. In rural areas people are surviving on wild fruits and roots.
