Kholwani Nyathi and Walter Marwizi
28 February 2009
Harare — PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, despite being invited, on Saturday did not attend President Robert Mugabe's lavish 85th birthday celebrations noting that it was a Zanu PF party event.
Instead, Tsvangirai spent the day, hard at work, with Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe and the Minister of Health, Dr Henry Madzorera exploring ways to raise funds for Harare Central hospital.
The Prime Minister was reportedly moved by the dire state of the referral hospital he visited on Friday and pledged to raise US$1.5 million for it to resume normal operations.
Tsvangirai, who had considered attending Mugabe's celebrations in an effort to show his commitment to the inclusive government, is said to have been alarmed by the programme which showed the event would basically remain a Zanu PF event, though the political landscape in Zimbabwe has changed.
The Prime Minister received the official invitation at 3pm but in 90 minutes he had already notified Mugabe that he would not want to be part of it.
James Maridadi, the PM's spokesperson said Saturday: "The PM received the invite, acknowledged it and sent his congratulations. He, however, regretted that he would not attend because he felt it was a Zanu PF function."
Maridadi said Tsvangirai did not want to intrude at what was clearly a party event.
Also, Tsvangirai had serious reservations about the event because he is said to be against turning "individual birthdays" into national events.
Tsvangirai turns 57 on March 10 but has told aides he wants a private function at his Strathaven home.
A cake bought from a local supermarket and a cup of tea with his wife and children is all he has planned, The Standard was told.
In contrast Mugabe's birthday celebrations attracted thousands of people and were criticised as a "sheer waste of taxpayers' money" at a time seven million Zimbabweans required food aid because they face starvation.
Mugabe's spokesman, George Charamba tried to put a brave face Saturday saying the 21st February Movement celebrations were a party event and "therefore Tsvangirai did not snub them".
The invitation to Mugabe's lavish birthday came at a time when the shaky political relationship between the two had become increasingly strained following Mugabe's unilateral appointment of permanent secretaries.
Tsvangirai said the appointments were unconstitutional and would not be recognized.
Mugabe also worsened matters by digging in on the issue of Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, Gideon Gono and Attorney General Johannes Tomana insisting their appointments, which violate the Global Political Agreement (GPA) were legal.
Donors have been clear to MDC fundraisers that they cannot be in a position to help as long as Gono is in charge of the central bank.
Mugabe's behaviour left Tsvangirai facing pressure from members of his formation to be wary of the President's commitment to the new government.
Sources said members of the MDC- T national executive who met on Friday called for the review of the party's participation in government in view of Zanu PF's apparent reluctance to see the full implementation of the deal.
The national executive members did not want their leader to have anything to do with Mugabe's birthday celebrations at a time when deputy minister-designate Roy Bennett, Jestina Mukoko and Gandhi Mudzingwa continued to languish in jail.
There were also concerns that Tsvangirai's attendance would be in bad taste at a time when 3 900 people have succumbed to cholera and the inclusive government was battling to convince donors to fund the country's reconstruction.
The organisers of the so-called 21st February Movement event had budgeted up to US$250 000 for expensive cuisine and drinks that included imported whiskies.
MDC- T spokesman, Nelson Chamisa said Mugabe's birthday was a party event and Tsvangirai was not obliged to attend. He would do so at any national events.
But party sources said MDC -T hardliners were growing impatient with Mugabe's intransigence as shown by the renewed invasion of white owned farms.
Among the diplomatic community, there was also growing concern over failure by the inclusive government to fulfill commitments made under the GPA.
US Ambassador James McGee said in Mutare last week it was time the new government released all political prisoners, who included Bennett, restored the rule of law and proved that it was committed to respect for human rights.
He said "doing so would be an important sign that the unity government is taking its pledges seriously and honestly to have the country move forward".
Other discordant voices in the inclusive government came from Deputy Prime Minister Professor Arthur Mutambara.
In a three-paragraph statement said he did not regret any statements that he made on the current Monetary Policy and the National Budget and stands by every word that he uttered on the matter.
"When President Robert Mugabe made reference to Professor Mutambara on ZTV, with regards to the above issues, he was expressing his own personal views as a Citizen of Zimbabwe," Mutambara shot back.
"The deputy Prime Minister would want to put it on record that he totally disagrees with these personal views of Mugabe.
"It is important that Zimbabweans make a distinction between Mugabe's personal views and public policy."
Mutambara told business people at a meeting in Harare not to base their planning on RBZ Governor, Dr Gideon Gono's recent monetary measures or the budget that was presented to Parliament before the new government was sworn in as these would be reversed.
To which Mugabe told the state broadcaster: "Those were emotional utterances. I am sure Mutambara regrets where he said the monetary policy must be nullified. How do you nullify a budget that has gone through Parliament? It's the one that (Finance Minister Tendai) Biti is using, including the monetary policy."
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Mugabe has gone politically senile. Period! ZANU-P have low self-esteem and low expactations. How could anyone keep a man like that this long in power? Only people without ambitions can accomplished this destruction.
Note: it has come to this because we lost the March elections," he said.
One has to admire the LOYALTY shown to Mugabe. The man is an icon ! Yes, and we need to take ALL the land back.
We really need to take back (our land),any part we choose. (Period).Happy birthday Pres.,and PM. I love you Both.God bless Africa and America. Oweij Liebo,U.S.A.
leviboone, " We really need to take back ( our) land, any part of it ", you say with uncertainty peeking behind a white man's curtain. Why are you not in your own African land? Because your own black leaders treat you like crap with no rights and that is why you scurry like cockroaches to the West instead of improving your Africa. How nice would it be to return to Africa and find all the rights you enjoyed in the west also there.
Even if you take all the land back, it is not sure you will be able to make good use of it for the benefits of the majority of Zimbos! Mugabe's thugs will fight one another to ensure that they get the largest slice. But then, without agricultural workers, who are now exiled in large numbers to SA, Mugabe's thugs would only sit on the land and speculate.
Confused people like AK47, Hollowjaw, Kubatana6 and group are so vile and filled up with hatred that they let emotions carry their mind. Mugabe plays with their emotions like that of kids.
Zimbos who are dying of cholera need medicines, not land to revert to good health. Destitue Zimbos need two meals a day to ward off famine, not land!
Only fools and idiots can be led by their nose by Mugabe on the land question. It's a sad day for Zimbos since most of the land in question has already been confiscated and distributed to Mugabe's cronies.
Mugabe is very cunning not to spell out a land policy and steps required to fructify it. He can press the button each time he wants idiots to rallye behind him against any genuine move by MDCs to democratise further the institutions of the country.
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