Caiphas Chimhete
18 July 2009
PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai last week issued an uncharacteristic veiled attack on President Robert Mugabe for refusing to accept electoral defeat in last year's poll.
Giving a keynote address at a two-day national vision workshop in Harare on Friday Tsvangirai said he wished to see a Zimbabwe where leaders are chosen by the people and "incumbents" step down once defeated in a poll.
"I envisage a Zimbabwe where political leaders are elected to serve the people and not their own interests, where incumbents stand down gracefully if they lose an election," Tsvangirai said amid applause from delegates who attended the two-day conference.
Political analysts said the attack was directed at Mugabe, who has ruled the country for the past 29 years and was trounced by Tsvangirai in the first round of last year's presidential election.
The MDC-T leader however failed to garner the 50% plus one vote that was needed to claim the presidency.
After losing the election Mugabe's supporters embarked on a violent campaign that claimed lives of over 200 MDC activists resulting in Tsvangirai pulling out of a run-off election.
"I want membership of a political party to be no more divisive or dangerous than membership of a football club," Tsvangirai said.
"Working towards a common vision is not possible if we do not acknowledge, accept and put aside the differences that divide us today.
"Such divisions have the potential to derail the pursuit of any common vision."
The six-month-old inclusive government of Zanu PF and the MDC formations is going through turbulent times as Mugabe continues to flout with impunity the Global Political Agreement (GPA), signed on September15 last year.
Mugabe has refused to replace central bank governor Gideon Gono and Attorney-General Johannes Tomana, after he unilaterally re-appointed the two against provisions of the GPA.
The MDC has taken the issue to the Southern African Development Community, the guarantors of the GPA.
Speaking at the same meeting, former Minister of Defence in Mugabe's government in the 1980s, Enos Nkala accused the 85-year-old leader of ruining the country.
He said it was not true that smart sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe were the cause of the current economic crisis.
"If Smith (Ian) managed to survive sanctions why can't we?
"Where have the gold and platinum reserves gone? The problem is we are looting! Let's stop this looting and develop the country," charged Nkala.
He said Mugabe must stop attacking America and Britain and concentrate on reconstructing the country he has ruined.
"My friend (Mugabe) is very eloquent and clever but spends most of his time shouting at other nations."
Acting President Joice Mujuru urged participants to use the Vision 2020 document to draft the new national vision, dubbed Vision 2040.
But Zapu interim chairman Dumiso Dabengwa said Zimbabwe needs a permanent national vision that is people-centred, non-partisan and that does not fall away when a new administration assumes power.
Dabengwa said previous visions failed because they did capture the people's aspirations and were also partisan in nature.
He said the much-hyped Vision 2020, crafted by Mugabe's administration, collapsed because it did not capture the aspirations of the ordinary people as it was foisted on them.
But Zanu PF apologist Obadiah Msindo said there was need for national healing and reconciliation before the crafting of a national vision.
"It's not possible to come up with a national vision when people are not free to say what they want, when there is so much political tension in the country," said Msindo, who is Destiny of Africa Network founder.
With the theme, Zimbabwe Vision 2040: Collectively shaping our destiny in pursuit of a shared national vision, the conference which ended yesterday was designed to gather views that would form a common national vision.
The conference, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, was attended by officials from Zanu PF, the two MDC formations, Zapu, non-governmental organizations and civil society organisations.
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Where are all the gold and platinum?
Let's ask criminal Mugabe?
Where is the Gold and platinum? I think we should ask where the diamonds are, let's follow the yellow brick road and do what Mugabe says, look east, look east. The cash is in the east, look in the chinese banks.
OMG OMG OMG OMG !!! When is Mugabe going to retire... He lost the elections....that man is the most stuped man in the whole wide world...i mean he is 85 yrs old Hey its about time the Zimbabwean people rose up and said enough enough enough that Mugabe should now retire to the nearest museaum where he belongs !!! he inherited the Jewel of Africa...and he took 27 years to to completly ruin the country and he is still haning on...i am sorry but he is an embarrsement to all africans including myself
Oh where, oh where is the SADC
Oh where, oh where could it be
It's a toothless dog with a GPA
Oh where, oh where could it be?
(sung to the tune of 'Little Lost Dog')
Little wonder he's now FORMER 'defense minister'! lol
How can any African in his right mind believe that Europeans actually sanctioned ian smaith and his racist gang of mass murderers?
Europeans are historical LIARS, who ALWAYS look out for their thieving 'kith and kin' in Zimbabwe!
Had it not for the effectiveness of the Chirumenga of Zim Patriots, the criminal invaders would still be flourishing with the FAKE 'sanction'! A similar argument applies with criminal invaders in South African and the FAKE sanction on the apartheid regime!
With so-called 'friends' like this former minister, Zim Patriots would have more than enough enemies.
Omugabe - Enos Nkala was the first Finance Minister in independent Zimababwe - he oversaw the dismantling of the full, mandatory sanctions that were in place against the Smith regime; so he is perfectly qualified to know what he is talking about when it comes this matter. I should know; Enos Nkala was my boss at the time.
You can deny it as often, and as vehemently as you like, - but the sanctions that were imposed against Rhodesia were the real deal; those that are imposed against the Mugabe regime are a powder puff by comparison. Only when you accept that fact, and stop blaming outsiders, will you start the process of economic reconstruction. Fortunately, the new Finance Minister, unlike you and zanu-pf, has a clear understanding of the facts.
Katz, you are knowledgeble enough to know that your point about the rhodesia sanctions being real is not true. Remember how the UK gvt, a Labour one, vehemently defended and protected rhodesia from the claws of the UN throughout the life of UDI. There was talk in anglo saxon circles which were always punctuated with 'our kith and kin'. From 1968-1974, l worked as a QA technician at the Central African Pharmaceutical (CAPS), which was founded by two Jewish brothers (Maurice Kramer etc). I was the only African allowed into the Quarantine area of the stores. We had raw materials from all over the world and we had contracts with the SouthAfrican gvt to supply their hospitals. Sanctions ...what sanctions, my foot! Besides, the rhodesians virtulaly owned and ran the Port and Harbour of Beira. The uk allowed it. Remember, Lord Malvern and other members of the aristocracy such as Lord Acton's family, lived and farmed in the country. The English had a lot to loose. Rhodesia was theirs for ever. Clearly they have not given up, let alone given in. The English are like that ... the Indian princesses, Napoleon, the OttomanTurks, the Boers, the Austro-Hungarians, the OilArabs and Mr Hitler learnt the English never give in. It is not in their genes ..either they score a win or everyone looses but they never allow their opponent to have a neat victory. We need new strategy of bringing them on board. l leave it to you, young ones. Stop the war of words and begin to come up with new ideas about the way forward for all Mabwes of whatever colour. We need our Barrack Obama from our ethnic minorities in Zimbabwe to step forward. All you Zimbabweans in Perth and elsewhere rise up to these challenges. Lets start anew. Hey hey hey, the President is 85 years old, for some the time is 5pm in the afternoon but, for many others, the time is 5am in the morning. Stop shouting negatives but come up with programmes. Aluta continua. Amen.
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"former Minister of Defence in Mugabe's government in the 1980s, Enos Nkala accused the 85-year-old leader of ruining the country.
He said it was not true that smart sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe were the cause of the current economic crisis.
"If Smith (Ian) managed to survive sanctions why can't we?"
Well said Enos Nkala!