SW Radio Africa (London)
Tichaona Sibanda
28 August 2008
The MDC leadership has resolved as a matter of urgency to write a letter of protest to South African President Thabo Mbeki about Robert Mugabe's 'suicidal mission' to form a new government.
Apparently rattled by the jeers and heckles he endured during his speech at the official opening of parliament on Tuesday, Mugabe has hit back by threatening to put in place a cabinet of ZANU PF ministers.
MDC secretary-general Tendai Biti said on Thursday they would write a letter of protest to Mbeki the facilitator about the breaches that have occurred to the July 21st Memorandum of Agreement governing the talks.
Article 9 of the MoU, titled 'Decisions by the Parties' stipulates that during the period of the dialogue, the parties shall not take any decisions that have a bearing on the agenda of the negotiations, such as convening of parliament or the formation of a new government.
Mugabe's regime threatened on Thursday to form a new government and that nothing is going to stop them from doing so. ZANU PF MP Bright Matonga said Mugabe got the mandate from SADC to go ahead with the formation of a government.
MDC's Biti warned that such a move would scupper the talks, adding, it is a disaster and an act of insanity to think that Mugabe can go it alone.
"Once he does that (forms a new government), then he has put a final nail on this dialogue. So, what in fact you are doing is you are making people suffer, and therefore declaring a war on the people," he said.
The talks on creating a unity government to end the political crisis have been stalled for over two weeks, since MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai refused to accept a power-sharing deal under which Mugabe would retain all the powers of a Head of State and Head of Government. It's believed Mbeki hopes to reconvene the talks as early as next week, although MDC secretary for Foreign Affairs Elphas Mukonoweshuro told Newsreel they've not heard anything yet from the facilitator.
The South African media has reported that senior SADC officials are unaware of Mugabe's intention to form a government before the talks are concluded.
Tanki Mothae, director of the SADC organ on Politics, Defence and Security is quoted saying he was not aware of that, but he hoped that all parties to the conflict in the country will abide by the agreement, and will finalise whatever issues are outstanding and still require their signatures.
Political analyst Isaac Dziya said by forming a government which leaves out the MDC, Mugabe would be taking a calculated risk that may spectacularly backfire.
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I totally agree with Lamaggic. I think we, ordinary Zimbabweans and the MDC members are beginning to fool ourselves. Our behaviour these days reflect what we call in our Shona language, "kutsvaga uta nemugate" translated into English this means "looking for weapons in the cooking pot". Why do we perpetually fool ourselves that Mbeki is a man of integrity? Mbeki is in the talks primarily to help ZANU (PF) and Mugabe to remain in power in the best internationally accepted way he can. He is not a mediator, he is like Mugabe's attornery. He is there to advise and help… [Read Full Text]
Mutambara is part of the problem. When is he joining the sanctions list where he belongs? Mbeki, we look forward to your departure from office. You have done enough damage. Mr Mugabe is mad anyway and is an accomplished dictator. Where else do you have a nation under constant fear of one old cold blooded murderer like this? I am coming to the shocking realization that most of the SADC and AU leaders would behave the same, given a chance. They seem to still learn a few tricks and see how tolerant the world is to oppression, so that they… [Read Full Text]
There no element of suicide in this scenario. Mugabe has always been on the right side and i am glad that is still the case. For as long Tsvangirai is dancing to the white man's tune there will be no unity. "THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN". Tsvangirai should learn and become the prodigal son. Mugabe has always been the winner when ever the two battles and the same will keep happening. Its better we go slow than we sell our souls for material wishes
Mugabe is near the end of his reign. Dictators never see the end coming - their arrogance prevents them from seeing reality - but their rule is based on fear and ultimately, inevitably they fall. Sooner or later, Mugabe's threadbare excuses and increasingly transparent efforts to blame outsiders and whites for Zimbabwe's troubles will be seen for what they are and he will have to pay for reducing his once great nation to shambles. It might not be this month; it may not be this year, but the end is near. Without Mbeki to hold back… [Read Full Text]
Kadzuu...Go slow to starvation and death, come on man. We need a bit of reasoning. You are the type of people being used to slaughter the grandparents,sisters and brothers for the sack of keeping Mugabe on the seat. What are you going to do then with his age?
Kudzai.. for your on information, Mugabe never won a free and fair battle against Tsvangi. He is a big looser.
True Negitiator, unless Kudzi believes those Uzumba - Marama - Pfungwe results. Remember in 2002 Mugabe got 43,000 in that constituency. In the March 2008 elections, he got less than 28,000 in total in the two newly created constiuencies of Uzumba and Maramba - Pfungwe. The other 15,000 voters had vanished. The Uzumba - Maramba - Pfungwe voters returned for the runoff and someone told me that Mugabe amassed a massive 60,000 there in the runoff. Only a mentally deranged person can believe that there are 60,000 voters in Uzumba - Maramba - Pfungwe. I am surprised that someone like… [Read Full Text]
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Depending on Mbeki to do anything constructive about Zimbabwe is hopeless. In this whole horrible travesty, perhaps the most disappointing element has been Mbeki's lack of any leadership. Mbeki is pathetic. Remember this is the guy who proclaimed after the Zimbabwe elections that there was no crises in Zimbabwe! If I had one hundered billion Zimbabwe dollars for every blind eye turned by Mbeki I'd be....oh, I'd still be broke.
RAH