UK — There is a dangerous misperception by Zimbabweans that as soon as the two rival political parties’ sign the power-sharing deal, the country would immediately be saved from further economic implosion.

 

There is so much misplaced energy and enthusiasm in these talks, with some asserting that the moment Morgan Tsvangirai capitulates and accepts a useless Prime Ministerial post, all our troubles would be fixed.

 

 

 

Sadly, however, this is simply dangerous, misleading nonsense.

The country knows fully well that Zanu (PF) is a cunning and deceitful political movement that sees power-sharing with Tsvangirai as something outrageously treacherous.

The war veterans have already made this abundantly known to Mugabe himself in a petition addressed to State House. The military junta is also unwilling to enter any power-sharing pact with Tsvangirai.

Does anyone in their right mind really believe that Mugabe would give Tsvangirai the powers he is demanding? The power to handpick Cabinet and run “my Zimbabwe ?”

That the party which prides itself that “Zanu
is bloody” and has “degrees in violence” will seriously sit down and negotiate a deal that would only secure its exit from power? Of course not.

Zanu (PF) is nothing but a bunch of thugs and thieves, and like any violent bully, understands only two things – action and the threat of action.

That Zanu (PF) is even rumoured to be considering ceding nominal powers to Tsvangirai is only because of the very pressure brought to bear by the forces of his key regional allies which are beginning to isolate him. His SADC contemporaries failed to make him see sense last month in Sandton.

 

President Thabo Mbeki failed again to cajole him to see sense on the sidelines of President Levy Mwanawasa's funeral in Lusaka three days ago.

Mugabe has no interest in any deal that takes away power from him.  He can accommodate Tsvangirai not give him executive powers. He is a control freak. He cannot countenance a “British puppet” running his Zimbabwe .

It is high time the MDC considers Plan B.
It is sheer insanity to continue to talk to Zanu (PF) if it has no plan to make compromises. Negotiations are about give-and-take.

The very reason why MDC – and indeed the whole opposition and pro-democracy movement – came about in the first place was due to the overweening corruption, kleptocracy and arrogance of Zanu (PF) – a party which, daring to call itself “government,” turned to the brutal repression of innocent people once it realised its future was doomed after the historic March 29 elections.

Mugabe’s road to State House is actually littered with 125 MDC corpses. Just how can one compare equally the party of “Green Bombers”, “war veterans” and associated riff-raff with the non-violent, reasoned, and courageous MDC?

Zimbabweans know better. They have had ample, painful experience at the hands of the Mugabe regime.

In the remote chance that Mugabe accepts to cede some power to Tsvangirai, that act will not necessarily produce the liberation of Zimbabwe from Zanu (PF).

Any deal that retains power in Mugabe’s hands is useless.

The deal we should envisage should explicitly include the handing over of the keys to the MDC president who is – as everyone knows full well – the rightfully elected President of Zimbabwe as of March 29 2008. June 27 was an illegal one-man race, a sham.

In other words, we should be demanding the hand-over of power, not letting Zanu (PF) off the hook to fight again!

Which brings us back to the original contention – that there is no point in talking at all unless and until the Zanu (PF) leader is willing to concede - not negotiate. And even if he is prepared to concede, he would obviously want to use the deal to negotiate amnesty for himself. Given the track record of Zanu (PF)’s human rights abuses, the MDC should also be tough here.

There are those who say that Zanu (PF) is indeed a necessity in a post-Zanu (PF) government, to preserve the function of multi-party democracy. This is another serious mistake.

A democratic plurality is indeed a desirable thing, but not with Zanu (PF). The Zanu (PF) edifice should be utterly destroyed.

There will be no relief from the suffering as long as Zanu (PF) is in any form still present as an actor in the political drama in Zimbabwe . The Fishmongers, the IMF, the World Bank, the US, the European Union will not unlock funds to Zimbabwe if Mugabe retains control of the levers of power.  

There will simply be none of the crucial support from the international donor agencies and monetary institutions and no investor will confidently support the country while the animal is still alive, kicking and manipulating.

 

It may sound a tough, unyielding approach, but to carry the struggle through to its final, logical conclusion is the only way.

So much sacrifice has already been made that it would be letting down those who have fallen, been maimed, tortured or raped – and indeed the people as a whole – if the movement were to soften its stance at the last hurdle.

The MDC's 9th anniversary in Gweru yesterday should have made a clear unequivocal statement that the party is pulling out of the talks until the dictator Matibili is serious about making concessions.

There is no point in negotiations when one party is not prepared to compromise.

 

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