Thursday, 14th August 2008

Tsvangirai must hold strong

Sean Martin 5:17pm

As the crucial negotiations in Zimbabwe drag on, Morgan Tsvangirai must hold strong and not accept any deal that leaves Mugabe in charge of the military. The offer of Prime Minster tabled to him this week is neither fair nor what Zimbabwe needs.

First, Tsvangirai polled over 180,000 more votes than Mugabe in the first popular vote, any settlement that does not recognise that reality will not be legitimate. Second, the control over the economy that Tsvangirai would gain would be meaningless as Mugabe would maintain command of the military and police; the military is the cornerstone of Zanu PF support and until Muagbe’s control over it is broken, Zimbabwe will not be free.

Time is on Tsvangirai’s side. The South African labour union Cosatu is promising a boycott of Zimbabwe headed imports starting on September the 3rd. With half of Zimbabwe’s imports coming from South Africa, this move will further tighten the screw on the Mugabe regime.

Previous Back to Coffee House Next

Actions: Email to a friend | Permalink | Comments (4) | Subscribe

Post this entry to: del.icio.us | Digg | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit

Post comment

TrevorH

August 14th, 2008 5:31pm Report this comment

How does he hold strong when he's just been arrested and his passport impounded.

Don't you think its the South African president who should hold strong? Fat chance there.

David Lindsay

August 14th, 2008 6:19pm Report this comment

It would not be possible to invade Zimbabwe except via at least one neighbouring country, and large numbers of Mugabe's very numerous tribesmen and clansmen would in any case fight to the death against any such invasion. For that is what it would be: an invasion. Who has invited us in?

So instead, the Movement for Democratic Change and all other concerned Zimbabweans should issue an appeal to all their fellow-subjects of "Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of Zimbabwe and of her other Realms and Territories", to aid them in overthrowing the usurpatious tyrant, Robert Mugabe. Is it conceivable that we would not then go to their aid?

Her Majesty would not have to do anything. That is the point: this would come from within Zimbabwe, and would place moral and political obligations on governments and people in 16 sovereign states (only four of them predominantly, and none entirely, white), and in numerous other territories besides, not only in these islands, but also in the Americas and in the Pacific.

So not only would this rescue the basket case of Africa and make it once more the bread basket, but it would also constitute a formal tie between Africa and her diaspora in the Caribbean.

God Save The African Queen!

Augustus

August 14th, 2008 6:29pm Report this comment

Even the venerable FT (to which you link) doesn't get it. The economic situation is so dire, and the inflation so enormous, that government receipts can't possibly keep pace with payments to the civil service and uniformed services. A matter of a few weeks at most. So what will Mugabe do? He won't hand over the country to the MDC, that's for sure. He will do a deal with the Chinese. They will pick up the tab, but they will demand a heavy price. Vast tracts of fertile land, and mining concessions will be handed over to them. It is the Chinese who are the new colonialists in Africa.