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Zimbabwe: 100 Days - GNU Has Little to Show for It

Kholwani Nyathi

16 May 2009

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THE inclusive government this week celebrates its first 100 days in office amid increasing frustration at the speed at which the coalition is implementing reforms to haul Zimbabwe out of its political and economic morass.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is expected to address Parliament this week on progress made by the government during its first three months in office, which elapse on Saturday.

Some of the achievements he is likely to list include the re-opening of schools and hospitals that were closed for the better part of last year due to unending strikes.

Tsvangirai is also likely to hail Zimbabwe's re-engagement with the international community after years of isolation and the renewed interest in the country as an investment destination.

The inclusive government has also made strides in addressing food security with basic commodities now readily available while the rehabilitation of the economy battered by years of ruinous policies is now well underway.

But analysts say the government has little to celebrate as major reforms promised in the global political agreement were still to be carried out.

They said there was also evidence that Zanu PF hardliners were still unwilling to embrace change.

According to the September 15 power-sharing agreement signed by Zanu PF and the two MDC formations, which led to the formation of the inclusive government in February, some of the key result areas for the coalition included the release of all political prisoners and providing an environment conducive for economic revival.

However, the first 100 days have been characterised by the failure to resolve outstanding issues, policy contradictions, conflicts over minsterial duties, fresh farm invasions and continued human rights violations.

There have also been disagreements between civil society and government on how to draft a new constitution for the country.

"Very little has changed under this inclusive government," spokesperson for the revived Zapu, Smile Dube, said.

"Journalists and lawyers still get arrested for doing their jobs and there is evidence that some partners in the coalition have not embraced the spirit of the inclusive government.

"We still have a disgruntled civil service, which is always threatening strikes and hospitals still do not have adequate drugs as well as doctors and nurses."

The government convinced civil servants including teachers and health professionals to return to work after it got support from donors to pay them US$100 allowances across the board.

However, efforts to get more donor support to improve on the salaries have hit a brick wall, leading civil servants to threaten another round of strikes.

While some countries and banking institutions have availed over US$1 billion in lines of credit for the inclusive government, little inflows have been recorded in terms of budgetary support.

Major lenders have adopted a wait-and-see approach as the parties continue to differ on outstanding issues that include Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor Gideon Gono's reappointment.

The donors are reluctant to release their money to a treasury where Gono, who is accused of abusing funds to sustain President Robert Mugabe's previous regime, is still in charge.

Mugabe is reportedly unwilling to give in to the MDC-T's demands for Gono and Attorney-General Johannes Tomana to be relieved of their duties as part of last year's agreement.

Donors are also not impressed with the continued arrest of human rights activists and the government's hostility towards journalists.

Ernest Mudzengi, a Harare-based political analyst, said Zimbabweans were fast losing confidence in the unity government because of the delayed reforms and continuous squabbles in the coalition.

"The disagreements in the inclusive government that are in the public domain are indicative of the serious problems it is facing," he said.

"They are particularly indicative of the fact that Zanu PF is not committed to sharing power and instead it wants the relationship of a horse and rider."

He said although there was evidence that things had changed in the country, Zanu PF's reluctance to reform remained a major disadvantage for the coalition.

Tsvangirai last week expressed frustration that some hardliners from the previous administration were delaying progress but insisted that his party would not pull out of the coalition.

"Mugabe is still in charge and nothing has changed," said Paul Siwela who lost the 2002 presidential elections to the 85- year-old leader.

"There is very little that Tsvangirai can do to change the country because he does not chair cabinet and will find it very difficult to influence things."

Siwela said instead Mugabe and his loyalists were seeing the inclusive government as an opportunity to recover from the setbacks they suffered in last year's elections where Zanu PF was almost toppled from power for the first time since 1980.

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