Caiphas Chimhete
25 October 2008
MDC leader and Prime Minister-designate, Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday said his party was committed to the power-sharing deal with Zanu PF provided power is shared equitably.
Tsvangirai said he would not agree to a post that has no authority in the proposed all-inclusive government. He also said he would not compromise on his previous position.
Addressing about 5 000 people at a rally in Marondera, Tsvangirai said the MDC was committed to the success of the power-sharing deal with Zanu PF, as long as power is shared equitably.
"We are very much committed but not under their (Zanu PF) conditions, but under an equitable power-sharing arrangement," Tsvangirai said. "I will not accept responsibility without authority."
Tsvangirai, President Robert Mugabe and Professor Arthur Mutambara signed the power-sharing deal brokered by South Africa's former president Thabo Mbeki on September 15 but the deal has since stalled over the allocation of ministries.
The MDC has said it will attend tomorrow's Southern African Development Community (Sadc) meeting in Harare meant to rescue the deadlocked power-sharing deal and use it to present to the regional body, its grievances against Mugabe.
Tsvangirai accused Mugabe of negotiating in bad faith, citing the refusal by Mugabe to issue him with a new passport to enable him to attend the Sadc troika meeting in Swaziland last week as a clear example.
The summit was later moved to Harare tomorrow in a move observers say suggests Sadc was unimpressed by Harare's assurances or explanations.
"There is nothing wrong with the deal but the problem is that Mugabe wants to grab all key ministries," Tsvangirai told party supporters in Marondera. "I will not go in if I am not given the tools to perform.
"If what Mugabe is doing is a demonstration of sincerity then we are not going anywhere because we will not be taken for a ride. VaMugabe vanoda kuita vamwe chikuku watawata (Mugabe wants to take us for a ride)."
Among the contentious issues are who should have the Ministries of Finance and Home Affairs.
The MDC leader accused former South African President Thabo Mbeki, Sadc-appointed mediator in the talks, of favouring Mugabe.
The MDC has since written to Mbeki raising concerns over what it believes is his latest example of backing Mugabe.
"Quiet diplomacy should not be quiet approval. When Mbeki comes here on Monday (tomorrow) he should know what the people of Zimbabwe want," Tsvangirai told the meeting.
The MDC leader said once in government, his party would give priority to the food crisis, shortage of foreign currency and fuel.
This was the first time that the MDC leader addressed a rally in Marondera in Mashonaland East since the formation of the opposition part in 1999. Zanu PF once declared the province a no-go area for the opposition and several MDC activists were killed after the March 29 elections in which Tsvangirai beat Mugabe.
The bodies of MDC activists who were abducted in Harare and subsequently murdered were found dumped in the province. And as a sign of respect for their "dead heroes and heroines", the MDC observed a minute of silence.
Tsvangirai said all those who committed crimes should face justice. Reports say senior security officers wanted the talks to collapse because of fear of prosecution for crimes they committed against the people of Zimbabwe.
"The guilty are afraid, but justice must not only be seen to be done, it must be done," Tsvangirai said.
The Marondera meeting came as the MDC demanded an immediate end to harassment and arrests of its supporters and civic leaders.
Police in Kambuzuma yesterday disrupted a clean up campaign organised by Councillor Thomas Muzuva (Ward 14) by firing teargas and arresting Muzuva. He was taken to Warren Park Police Station.
The clean up was the councillor's direct response to reports of cholera deaths in the Greater Harare area. Three of the deaths were in Ward 14.
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Mugabe's government has never accepted development in the country. Look at how Strive Masiiwa struggled to set up his celphone network ,but he was somebody who had a communication vision for teh country and beyond. Now a few volunteers render thier help to people who have been made to suffer by this dictator, now they are arrested or have beeen tear gased for a just cause. Mugabe and his cronies must be hanged. Welldone Muzuva and your people the end is nigh for Mugabe.
Womudenga, well said!...Mugabe has never accepted the new developments in Zimbabwe the last 5 years or so. In his head he continues to believe that people like him and life should just go on as it has been in the past.
It is important that Tsvangirai resist the pressure from Former President Mbeki to stay the course. What Zimbabwe needs now is new elections.
Nothing is working in Zimbabwe now..money shortage, problems in organizing school exams, empty food shelves in supermarket..And meanwhile, Mugabe cabinet ministers, their children, uncles, drivers are busy looting Zimbabwe of goods and services. Mugabe must go!! He has nothing to offer Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe needs a competent opposition leader, not some overgrown man-child who contradicts every decision he makes.
Mugabe, like dictator Mobutu who finally was buried far away from his motherland, does not want Zimbos to enjoy the facility of infrastrtucutres that faciliate mobility.
No more investments towards improvements in roads, schools, hospitals! The more these monster dictators prevent people to travel, the more they can deliberately mislead them. Hence Mugabe using the antibrits and antiyankees empty slogans to whip up narrow nationalistic emotions. Ultimately, everone in the country suffers except the dictator who finally gets crushed by the popular mass uprising.
That is coming for sure! Watch it! There will be no GNU. There will be no new elections before a mass uprising! But then, Mugabe will have ran far away from his motherland for the safety of his own life!
Whcich rogue country will offer him protection? perhaps another rotten banana republic!
Prime minister Tsvangirayi must not be intimidated . He must stand his ground and be shared the rightful ministries.These bogus war veterans who want to intimidate him must go and hang. Zimbabwe is not a country of bogus war veterans it is a country of Zimbabweans. The years of masquerading as war vets is over we fought the war twenty eight years ago and that war is now over what we want is a country where everyone lives without fear of intimidation .
There must be no compromise on the issue of cabinet posts Mr prime minister.
Phiri, Womudenga and all the Puppets, If Tsvangirai does not compromise he is doomed. He is the one who has everything to loose. He is not in Govt but is craving to be included. It is only the President who has the power to appoint him. If you think you have an upper hand just try it and see what will become of you especially after insulting and disrespecting SADC leaders like he did last week.
America and Britain are only driving Boycott to his grave. Very soon they will abandon him because he won't be of any use anymore. If he believes that the only support he needs is from America and Britain why not carry out his threat of not attending the meeting in Harare? He knows that he is now isolated?
The only country supporting him, Botswana, is of no consequence. Why we want good neighbourliness, if Botswana tries the war game it will soon realise that it is a baby in a men's ring. If Botswana tries to harbour terrorists, as it is suggesting, it will be isolated and crashed like all countries that have supported rebels against their neighbours before.
We are not going to waste time and scarce resources in going through another costly election just to please Bush and Brown. Elections have come and gone and they will only come after five years. If after this meeting Tsvangison remains arrogant and intransigent he is only digging his own grave. MARK MY WORDS!!
takunya_ndebvu - you are incorrect. MT has nothing to lose. The mistake you make is that the MDC do not want power just for power's sake like ZPF - they want it to serve and free the people. You say that MT is "craving to be included" - you sepak od "disrespecting SADC leaders". Both of those are false premises. Your comments are, if I may say, very foolish and anachronistic.
Time's up. One way or another, Time's up.
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‘Police in Kambuzuma yesterday disrupted a clean up campaign organised by Councillor Thomas Muzuva (Ward 14) by firing teargas and arresting Muzuva. He was taken to Warren Park Police Station.’ This serves to show why Mugabe is reluctant to part with home affairs. It’s known that anything that is beneficiary to Zimbabweans police are mobilised to disrupt it. For example the same forces destroyed people’s tuck shops, houses and home industries. It’s a wonder how Mugabe wants us to be, I’m sure he wants us to be his puppets. Why why why why?