Zimbabwe is on the verge of a myriad of problems- mainly political that has led to the disintegration of the economic, social and moral fabrication of the Southern African country. The African country touted to have good memories of once being the breadbasket of Africa, having a vibrant education sector, health sector well functioning industries and a prosperous economy, is a pale shadow of itself.
That the two major political parties, Zanu PF led by Robert Mugabe and Movement for Democratic Change led by Morgan Tsvangirai signed a Global Political Agreement on 15 September this year to pave way for a now long overdue Government of National Unity is an open secret. The leaders have been bickering over sharing key government posts.
But as the talks resume between the two political parties in South Africa since Tuesday this week, discussing a draft of Constitutional Amendment number 19 to rescue the power sharing agreement, the latest round of personal attacks between the mediator, former South African president Thabo Mbeki and MDC leader Tsvangirai casts a dark shadow on Zimbabwe’s hopes of ending the political and economic turmoil.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) appointed mediator, Mbeki is infamous in Zimbabwe circles for his utterances in his early days as moderator between Zanu PF and MDC that “there is no crisis in Zimbabwe.” His preferred “quite diplomacy” in approaching Harare’s problems has not been well taken by the MDC. Those in MDC have since then doubted his impartiality in dealing with 84 year old Robert Mugabe in solving Zimbabwe’s problems.
As Mbeki continue as arbitrator between Zanu PF and the two MDC formations, it is the latest round of accusations and counter-accusations that he traded with one of the principals to the power sharing deal, Tsvangirai through statements made in South Africa that puts doubt if the SADC appointed inter-mediary can successfully bring the political settlement deal to work.
Through a 10 page letter leaked to the press Wednesday, Mbeki in clear response to the scathing letter that MDC Secretary General, Tendai Biti wrote to him dismissing the resolutions of the recent SADC summit that Mugabe and Tsvangirai co-share the contentious ministry of Home Affairs and immediately form a government as “a nullity” and Tsvangirai labeling SADC leaders as “cowards who cannot look Mugabe in the eye”, Mbeki accused Tsvangirai of using “offensive” language in criticizing SADC leaders and that the MDC should not see its “mission as being a militant critic of Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF .”
“Realistically, Zimbabwe will never share the same neighbourhood with the countries of Western Europe and North America which have benefitted especially from the migration of skilled and professional Zimbabweans to the North,” said Mbeki.
“Because leaders in our region did not agree with you on some matter that served on the agenda of the SADC Extraordinary Summit Meeting, you have denounced them publicly as cowards.. It may be that for whatever reason, you consider our region and continent as being of little consequence to the future of Zimbabwe, believing that others further away, in Western Europe and North America, are of great importance,” he added.
It is this subjective accusation that Tsvangirai is a puppet of Western countries, Mugabe has relentlessly made on the MDC leader that Mbeki repeats that compromises his standing in the eyes of MDC as an unbiased mediator.
In his statement Tsvangirai said the power sharing agreement has been hindered by the “attitude and position” of Mbeki as facilitator.
“Sadly, the negotiations have also been hampered by the attitude and position of the facilitator, Mr. Thabo Mbeki. He does not appear understand how desperate the problem in Zimbabwe is and the solutions he proposes are too small.”
“In addition his partisan support of Zanu PF to the detriment of genuine dialogue has made it impossible for the MDC to continue negotiating under his facilitation,” added Tsvangirai.
The MDC leader said his party wrote to the SADC Chairman, South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, “detailing the irretrievable state of our relationship with Mr Mbeki and asking that he recuses himself.”
It is yet to be seen if Mbeki, who brokered a power sharing deal signed by Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Professor Arthur Mutambara of the smaller MDC formation amid pomp and fanfare in Harare two months back, can continue with his mandate as mediator now that he is now in direct friction with one of the major protagonists.
As political players both from Zimbabwe and the region continue with the drama in solving the country’s political mess, ordinary Zimbabweans’ suffering is being prolonged. Currently people are grappling with a cholera outbreak, a health crisis that the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) say reported cases have reached 8 887, with 366 deaths as of 25 November.
