Denford Magora
20 November 2008
MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai this week met with European Union officials and came out against the imposition of more sanctions against Robert Mugabe and his cronies.
Tsvangirai told European Union officials that imposing more sanctions on Mugabe would be counter-productive and instead urged the European regional grouping to focus their attention on providing assistance to Zimbabwe, especially humanitarian and medical assistance.
According to AFP, the French news agency, "Tsvangirai said that, instead of more sanctions, the country must have emergency humanitarian aid. He said millions of people need food and medicine to counter the spread of cholera."
The EU has blacklisted 172 people linked to Mugabe's government and four companies believed to financially support Mugabe and his Zanu PF party. The EU also has frozen long-term aid projects in Zimbabwe and imposed an arms embargo.
Contrary to reports that the Zanu PF leadership was angry about Tsvangirai's trip to Europe, Mugabe's office says the president is "delighted that Tsvangirai is now doing what we have always asked: that he show his good faith by asking for sanctions to be lifted..."
While not strictly true that Tsvangirai has asked for sanctions to be lifted, his comments in Strasbourg, where he attended the EU's International Day of Development, mark his most significant effort yet to repair what he himself has called "an element of mistrust between myself and President Mugabe".
Mugabe had demanded that "those who asked for sanctions should go and ask for those sanctions to be lifted."
This was never going to happen, of course, because Tsvangirai has no control over Europe or the United States.
However, as the crisis over the talks drags on, the EU and the United States had signalled that they would be ratcheting up pressure on Mugabe by imposing more sanctions. They were now considering an even wider net of sanctions to bring Mugabe's regime to its knees once and for all.
We can then safely say that the prospect of this happening has now been diminished, if not abolished, by Tsvangirai's latest call for those additional sanctions not to be imposed.
What is even more interesting in all of this is how this relates to the announcement by the MDC that it will participate in government once the necessary instrument to make the GNU legal is signed into law. It marks a clear progression by the MDC towards participation in an inclusive government. By making moves to ensure that he can show his negotiating partner, Mugabe, that he is sincere and committed to the talks and to the success of any new government, Tsvangirai has also shrewdly ensured that Mugabe stays his hand and does not go ahead and impatiently appoint a one-sided government, a move hoped for by some hard-liners in his party.
Mugabe will now have to think twice and give Tsvangirai the benefit of the doubt that, perhaps, the prime minister-designate is indeed committed to ensuring that the agreement is realised and a government formed. It means that there will be no unilateral government by Mugabe. The sign outside the door now reads "Awaiting Developments". Already, the government of Robert Mugabe has drafted Amendment No 19 to create the posts of prime minister and his deputies. The government has also prepared the nation for a long delay in the setting up of government by saying that people "should be patient. Setting up a government is not an event but a process." So prepare yourselves for us not to have a government until after January next year.
It is also instructive to note that Tsvangirai was invited to the European Union Day of International Development summit in his capacity as prime minister-designate of Zimbabwe. It points to a new era of relations between the Western powers and Zimbabwe. And it reinforces the claim made by Tsvangirai that he holds the key to the unlocking of international aid by the West.
What remains to be seen is if anything comes out of his attendance at the European Union Day of International Development summit. What deals will he be able to secure and under what conditions? Once a new government is in place? There is no doubt that he will be able to secure something, since the European Union is looking to strengthen his hand in the ongoing talks with Mugabe.
Before this week is out we should know exactly what Tsvangirai's jaunt has brought Zimbabwe. One thing is certain, though: the New! Improved! sanctions that had been mooted by the US and the Europe in the last two weeks, which were heavier and more widespread, will now no longer be imposed on Zimbabwe.
What remains is the battle to actually formulate a government that can take advantage of this goodwill and harness any gifts Tsvangirai may be handed, be they moral or financial. Goodwill is being built towards Zimbabwe, but only a Zimbabwe in which the MDC is part of government.
Read comments. Write your own.
Copyright © 2008 Zimbabwe Independent. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
Stupid Rhodesian, Zimbabwe has no place for such people, please follow your Ian Smith. We love our Zimbabwe even in times of dire need. Go to England we do not need you
please don't pollute the crisp and clean Brits with this dude.
Cheers.
This post was deleted because it contravenes AllAfrica's commenting guidelines.
@icho
There is no such thing as a stupid Rhodesian, because Rhodesians are renascence people, the same group that facilitated for all the systems which we now call Zimbabwe. On the other side of the spectrum, unless you are part of the “40 thieves” running the show, there is a thing called a dumb Zimbabwean, this is of course that ones that are in denial and still think this Marxist experiment works and Mugabe is some kind of a God or master mind. If you research your history it will tell you Ian was a veteran of the 2nd world war, he fought a much more fierce enemy in Europe, his generation helped save mankind for extermination so how then does a person who fought Hitler become a Racist? Ian only came into Rhodesian politics at 29 and he was instrumental in bringing dialogue with blacks, remember he grew up living with blacks in Selikwe, it was Ian who flew to Zambia at night in 1975 to meet with Kaunda and Nkomo to try and stop the war and build a prosperous country for both blacks and whites. However, it was Mugabe and that Marxist Nyerere who refused to cooperate. If you are allowed into the archives of the Rhodesian Broad Casting (RBC) you will see for yourself that Ian was not a Racist but a true Rhodesian, committed to his country’s fight against Marxism. Remember it was Gen Josiah Tongogara another man from Selukwe that insisted on reconciliation with the Rhodesians, obviously the man died mysteriously. Anywhere to stick to the points Mugabe agreed to reconciliation (please check what reconciliation means) only to renege and remove Rhodesians from the army, police, parliament…etc to which Ian Smith objected and still advised Mugabe against such a move, this is how Mugabe operates. Smith worked with the blacks for as far as possible, he loved people of all colors, being Rhodesians does not mean being white racists; it’s a way of life for those that understand what it was all about. Even if you dare ask Mugabe today he will tell you Ian Smith was not a Racist. Saka brotherman get your facts straight. I hear more racial slurs coming from blacks than from whites. If a person says that they are RHODESIAN it does not mean they white supremacist. I am black and I am a proud Rhodesian, its about one’s freedom to choose what is right and what is wrong. One party state is wrong and this is what Mugabe was trying to impose on people
Of cours Smith and his Rhodesians were pure racists; but that should not be used as an excuse by Mugabe and his party to practise reverse racism. Two wrongs don't make a good. At least Smith, a white supremist had the guts to handover power to a black man. This is unlike Mugabe who refuses to hand over power to his fellow black brother, Tsvangirai. In fact, Mugabe does not think of handing power to any one including his close handlers like Munangagwa, Joice Mujuru, Chenhamo Chimutengwende etc (while he is still alife). Mugabe is a dictator through and through.
This post was deleted because it contravenes AllAfrica's commenting guidelines.
See all comments (34).
This post was deleted because it contravenes AllAfrica's commenting guidelines.