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Zimbabwe: Public Downbeat About Political Agreement
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UN Integrated Regional Information Networks
22 July 2008
Posted to the web 23 July 2008
Harare
An agreement between Zimbabwe's political parties to pursue negotiations to establish a new constitution and bring an end to political violence has been met with scepticism by ordinary Zimbabweans trying to survive the country's 2.2 million percent annual inflation rate.
On 21 July, Robert Mugabe, president of the ruling ZANU-PF party, and opposition leaders Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara, signed a Memorandum of Understanding under the auspices of the Southern African Development Community's appointed mediator, South African president Thabo Mbeki.
As news spread of the deal, widely seen as a ground-breaking initiative, people in Harare, Zimbabwe's capital, responded to the images of Tsvangirai and Mugabe shaking hands at signing ceremony with a mixture of disgust, disbelief and indifference.
"This is a major betrayal by Tsvangirai. Many people have died, been raped, tortured, and had their homes set on fire for supporting him. He needed to consult widely with us before hopping into bed with Mugabe," Matthews Shoko, a staunch supporter of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, told IRIN.
"Tsvangirai himself withdrew from the presidential run-off, saying the levels of violence were unacceptable; why is he prepared to walk into office via a path littered with dead bodies and broken limbs?" Shoko asked.
Mugabe has been in power since Zimbabwe won its independence from Britain in 1980. The ruling ZANU-PF lost its majority in parliament for the first time since independence in 29 March elections, but Tsvangirai fell short of securing an outright presidential win by a couple of percentage points, so a second round of voting was set down for 27 June.
In the lead-up to the presidential run-off more than 60 people died in political violence, thousands were reported missing and tens of thousands were displaced. Tsvangirai pulled out of the second round of voting in protest against the violence, leaving Mugabe as the sole candidate. He claimed a landslide victory.
Never trust a politician
Caroline Mpofu, a sales executive at an electrical company, was dismissive of the agreement. "I never trust politicians. I am sure the discussions have more to do with sharing power than the interests of Zimbabweans in general. It's more to do with power than addressing the food shortages stalking the country," she said.
"More than a hundred people have died because of these politicians. Suddenly the politicians are shaking hands, but in the countryside there is very little information. People are being told to beat up any MDC supporters. Torture bases continue to exist, while women continue to be gang-raped."
According to a recent UN report, about five million of Zimbabwe's 12 million people are expected to require food assistance in the coming months, but the government has banned the activities of humanitarian organisations, including food distribution, alleging that they have a political agenda.
Tafara Shava, who lives in Mudzi, a remote district in Mashonaland East Province, said the details of the agreement had yet to reach this area, and even when it did it was unlikely that people would believe it, and would probably beat up anybody who suggested that Mugabe and Tsvangirai had shaken hands.
"What the politicians are doing is very unfair. In Mashonaland East we are still chanting slogans like 'down with Morgan Tsvangirai', and yet the main rivals are having lunch together in plush hotels. People need to be told that there are new developments taking place."
What the politicians are doing is very unfair. In Mashonaland East we are still chanting slogans like 'down with Morgan Tsvangirai', and yet the main rivals are having lunch together in plush hotels.
The Memorandum of Understanding calls for an end to hate speech and political violence, the lifting of the ban on humanitarian organisations to enable them to distribute relief, and setting the objectives and priorities for a new government that will address the economic decline and political malaise, among other things, all to be agreed within two weeks.
"The dialogue commenced on 10 July 2008 and will continue until parties have finalised all necessary matters, save for short breaks that may be agreed upon. It is envisaged that the dialogue will be completed within a period of two weeks from the date of signing [21 July] of this MoU," the agreement said.
The talks will be held in Pretoria, South Africa.
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One clause suggests that the end result would be the formation of a coalition or government of national unity. "The parties shall not, during the subsistence of the dialogue, take any decisions or measures that have a bearing on the agenda of the dialogue, save by consensus. Such decisions or measures include, but are not limited to, the convening of parliament or the formation of a new government."
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Pathetic assessment, it is very obvious that the divide and rule tactic from the UK-EU/US is again failing decimally. Zimbabweans always leave in brotherly and sisterly culture, the west forced us to rebel against each other through economic sanctions, we were enticed to revolt against gvt and we are showing the world what we really stand for regardless of our different political opinions. Can the west not learn for God’s sake what it means to be Zimbabwean? Begrudged we are for taking land and mineral resources from brutal colonisers, business from the unthankful west must not continue to thrive in... [Read Full Text]
This "brotherly and sisterly culture"? What a joke! Tell that to the MDC supporters beaten, murdered and tortured by mugabe for wanting to tick the wrong box! Wake up and see what is actually going on my friend!
Are you a Zimbabwean? you surerly surprise me. Supporting this negative reporting is insane. Whether so many people died, does this mean we should continue to fight one another. What we need is peace. A slogan is just a slogan... a slogan. Peaople were fighting, but fighting for what? when you see people shaking hands it means truce and peace. Thats what we all need lets not turn ourselves into polititians and lets leave politics to polititians. You and me should just be you and me as Zimbabweans. l believe tjis time around its you who needs to wake up... [Read Full Text]
The problem is that this result, Mugabe keeping the presidency through mass intimidation and murder of voters, sets a dangerous precedent for future elections in Zimbabwe and africa. "Hey... I might lose the next election. Lets go beat up and murder heaps of opposition supporters so they vote for us and we win - look at Mugabe - he did it and the AU said nothing, so we will get away with it"
This is where the AU needs to step in and take a stand and say this kind of behaviour should not be tolerated, bring in peace keepers... [Read Full Text]
something about a pot and kettle come to mind reading this rambling tripe from onesoul..rather depressing that these people believe their own tripe. One thing for sure..I will stay put in my evil racist western country rather than go back to rub shoulders with thickos like this!!! With idiots like this abound zimbabwe will never be rebuilt!!!! thank god for the western nations!!!!
The talks haven't taken off and the negative are predicting gloom and doom. I am a western based Zimbabwean and I welcome dialogue. Dialogue had to take place in 1979 for a new Zimbabwe to be born. Recently Kibaki and Odinga had to talk for sanity to prevail in Kenya. Negative attitudes and prophets of doom are what we do not need at this stage. A good number of us want to go back to rebuild Zimbabwe. I will be the first to say please don't water down a development we have all wanted to see take place for the... [Read Full Text]
Hey, hey! Stop this nonsense!!
You mean as a Zimbabwean, you would enjoy witnessing Mugabe cronies to kill, maim and rape your wife, daughters, sisters and yet you go shake hands with him to talk peace?? Bloodstained Mugabe still has on his side the Commissioner of police and the chiefs of the Army units that carry horrendous acts of turture on behalf of the hero turned monster.
Whether Zimbabwea, African or any other human being, we cannot condone killing, maiming and raping anywhere! MDCs have signed under duress.
Mugabe and cronies should be dragged before an international crime tribunal. he... [Read Full Text]
its a good thing you are not a polititian, many souls will be lost under your leadership. Preach love not hate no wonder you are not part of the negotiating team.
i m replying tothe guy who wrote living like brother and sister in zim are having a joke or work for zanu pf mugabe killed zimbabwe u idiot im i black ive never been racially abused by a white zimbabwean we lived side by side until mugabe came between us with desparate policies inever use to quee for food the bigest note was 50 dollars there was love in zimbabwe industries were growing we were food basket all that is gone what u talking about get yah senses together we dont need power sharing with mugabe or zanu thy should... [Read Full Text]
stuart cool down when you are angry like that your actual sense doesn't come out. What the hell are you talking about.Who signed the $50.00 note? was it signed by a white man?l believe a black governor signed the note. All was well until we took back what belonged to us.Do you call that a crime? Its very fortunate you never encountered the evil dids of a white man. This though does not mean all whites are good people there are some just a bad as the devil himself, but we lived with them like brothers and sisters for over... [Read Full Text]
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