Levi Mukarati, Senior Political Reporter
ZANU-PF is insisting it will not move an inch on the so-called outstanding issues unless and until targeted sanctions imposed on its leadership are unconditionally removed by the United States and its allies, further creating another hurdle for the inclusive government. President Robert Mugabe last week reiterated that his revolutionary party would not concede to demands from its partners in government — the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) formations — until Western sanctions are removed.
The statements seemed to be well calculated ahead of the appointment of new provincial governors.
“Remarkable progress has been made in respect of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) and as ZANU-PF we have no intention to renege on the GPA process. The GPA is not about ZANU-PF alone, so let it not be in the minds of our opponents that the GPA is about ZANU-PF giving in to the MDC formations’ continuous demands,” said President Mugabe.
“We all signed up to this agreement so, therefore, all parties should realise the full objectives, which also include (the lifting of) sanctions.”
The President went on to say ZANU-PF would not move an inch on the matter of governors as long as sanctions are in place.
ZANU-PF initially wanted the terms of office of the provincial governors to expire before considering appointing nominees of the other political parties in government.
The issue of sanctions has always been ZANU-PF’s scapegoat whenever faced with addressing critical issues threatening the life of the wobbly coalition pact born out of compromise 18 months ago.
ZANU-PF first brought up the pre-condition of sanctions removal, which the MDC says it has no control over, last year after the other partners in the coalition pressed it to honour its side of the bargain.
But there been latest efforts in the United States to lift the sanctions, with Republican senator, Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma introducing legislation to kick start the process.
The Zimbabwe Sanctions Repeal Act of 2010, initiated in the US, seeks to reverse the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001.
While such efforts have been going on in the US, academic and political commentator, Eldred Masunungure, believes ZANU-PF might find another departure point once the sanctions have been lifted to avoid making certain concessions in the inclusive government.
“There are efforts in the European Union and United States to have the sanctions removed, but I do not see that as what ZANU-PF wants in order to address the outstanding issues.
“The position by ZANU-PF on sanctions complicates matters. It throws spanners in the work of the inclusive government. We cannot have a situation where one party says to the other do this for us to do this.
“This marriage is not working and the only thing that the political gladiators should do is to go back to the people and ask for a fresh mandate to rule.”
Masunungure said ZANU-PF’s renewed position on sanctions smacked of disrespect to the outcome of the just ended Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit held in Namibia.
At the Windhoek summit the GPA partners pledged to solve the outstanding issues in the power-sharing pact to restore normalcy in the country.
The journey for the inclusive government, formed in February last year, has never been an easy one.
The coalition has been dogged by a myriad of problems with the MDC-T leader at one time disengaging from government in protest over what the party called ZANU-PF’s intransigency over the outstanding issues.
Political commentator, Alois Masepe, said ZANU-PF was trying to score cheap points against the MDC formations by holding the nation at ransom.
“They told SADC that they agreed on implementing what they had agreed upon as political parties and the issue of provincial governors is included,” Masepe said. “I never heard it was agreed what needs to be implemented should be implemented provided sanctions are removed. Surely, I am disappointed that this country is on its knees; we have lost skilled people and ZANU-PF continues to play cheap politics instead of addressing real issues troubling this country.”
Independent political analyst, Pedzisai Ruhanya, said the MDC factions must not rely on external forces to get ZANU-PF to fulfill the GPA.
“They must use internal means. They are in government and that is an important political tool to exert pressure on (President) Mugabe and stop ZANU-PF from abusing them. ZANU-PF will not make any more concessions to the MDC because by so doing they will be losing the battle. It is up to MDC to wake up and realise they need to exert pressure on ZANU-PF in order for them to get what they want,” said Ruhanya.
Comments (5)
Show/Hide comments
...
written by nigel, September 01, 2010
written by nigel, September 01, 2010
THESE SANCTIONS ARE THERE AND WE SHOULD NOT TURN A BLIND EYE ON THEM. MDC-Tsvina should not take Zimbos as fools. Why was the issue of sanctons part of GPA if sanctions are not there? Are we saying all SADC is made up of fools. Chamamisa or is it Chamisa got to hell mfana hauna kudzidza mese na m*rgan
-
- +0
-
-
...
written by c. veremu, August 30, 2010
written by c. veremu, August 30, 2010
I think Takaendesa has nailed it dead centre..the outstanding issues are that the government is a bloated monstrocity. MDCT and M should campaign for removal of the office of deputy ministers and governors. I can a*sure them the public for all the contempt politicians have for them ,will begin to see them in a new light! All futrure programmes will have buy-in from the suffering if the two parties move with speed to recall all their deputy ministers and drop the issue of governors on matter of principle not "so called violations"..let ZANU 'career 'on the gravy bus. Its high time the two parties took the higher ground. Put simply, Zimbabwe cannot afford these governors and deputy ministers..is it not strange that we call for removal of sanctions with one voice and then spend the little we have on these useless functionaries who are not adding any value to our governance. We should cut our cloth according to our length,period.
-
- -1
-
-
...
written by Madzudzo, August 28, 2010
written by Madzudzo, August 28, 2010
@Levi Mukarati.This is the most confused article I am coming across during the last six publications of this paper. It is fine for your esteemed paper to align with a political party, but there are certain truths that do not have to be diluted or simply thrown away, just for the purpose of pleasing your readership. You do not have to twist facts on the ground as if you were two years old when the GPA was put in place. ZANU PF is not bringing the issue of sanctions as a 'scapegoat' as you state. I find this very silly of you. The MDC campaigned for sanctions, yes they made wrong calculations then. It was a misplaced tactic of which only sensible people in the MDC regret now. It however has to be dealt with now as a matter of urgency. If Masunungure surely indicated that Zanu Pf's sticking to the lifting of sanctions suggested 'disrespect the just ended SADC summit in Namibia' then he also got it wrong because the Summit impressed on the lifting of the Sactions by the West. Levi you sound as if the issue of sanctions is a new issue and you avert the cry by the MDC to have the Justice ministry run by two ministers. You are not getting your facts right. Tsvangirai disengaged from the GNU because of the issue of Bennet not the rest of the hogwash you are stating. In fact we applaud what H E The President said, concerning 'not giving any concessions to the MDC' until sanctions are lifted. People aught to realise what you and the MDC are up to and that this sickness actually vindicates the presence , on the political scene of revolutional cadres of the personality of President Mugabe.
This article is certainly the worst of its kind in journalism if you can not just miss facts but simply peddle lies and you want to substantiate your stupidity by quoting Masungure et al. You are aware that the sanctions issue is critical and key to return the country to its normalcy. The MDC are developing cold feet cos they had an agenda for regime change. What kind of political thinking is this. This is the first opposition political party I have heard, that were there to campaign for sanctions on its motherland for the purpose of getting voted into power. Even your sponsors could not believe it. In any case whether sanctions go or not, this is not going to happen. Levi Mukarati think straight and review your readership.
This article is certainly the worst of its kind in journalism if you can not just miss facts but simply peddle lies and you want to substantiate your stupidity by quoting Masungure et al. You are aware that the sanctions issue is critical and key to return the country to its normalcy. The MDC are developing cold feet cos they had an agenda for regime change. What kind of political thinking is this. This is the first opposition political party I have heard, that were there to campaign for sanctions on its motherland for the purpose of getting voted into power. Even your sponsors could not believe it. In any case whether sanctions go or not, this is not going to happen. Levi Mukarati think straight and review your readership.
-
- -1
-
-
...
written by Takaendesa, August 27, 2010
written by Takaendesa, August 27, 2010
The MDC-T does not seem to get it. The biggest issue now is not who gets what position in the GNU. The real issue is reducing the number of useless positions that are draining government coffers to the detriment of the ordinary Zimbabwean. I am sure that the MDC-T would be getting thumbs-up from the people if their numerous and hopeless ever-increasing outstanding issues included drastically reducing the cabinet, which includes the contested issue of provincial governors and also emphasizing on the appointment and selection of the most efficient and qualified Zimbabweans(from all poitical parties) to run government business. The error of "jobs for the boys" should be buried now and not tom*rrow. Zimbabwe is a very small country with barely 14 million human beings. Economically, the country is bleeding even in the midst of plenty. Just count the number of MERCS that ZANU-PF, MDC-T and MDC ministers(I am not sure of what the deupty ministers use) and the contested governors and amba*sadors are in possesion of, including the high cost of purchasing them from Germany and maintainance, plus high fuel consumption of this type of vehicles etc. In my view these are the most important outstanding issues that the majority of the down-trodden Zimbabweans understand. Today, the two MDC formations even want to make the burial of the remains of a human being become one of the outstanding issues. Please, Please, tapota can,t you GNU guys see that tapera basa with tightening our belts. We are all bones now and no flesh on which the belts can keep on landing whilst all your bellies are getting bigger and bigger. Iye zvino maakuti matama nenzeve dzese dzaakufashukira nekufuta. Sure, it's you GNU guys who are the worst exploiters and not the imperialists. Murikusveta simba rehama dzenyu without any shame whatsoever? You are not even ashamed kurwisanisa vanhu varikutambudzika for your support. Mbuya nehand vachakumukirai-all of you without exception.
-
- +0
-
-
Write comment
Show/Hide comment form
If this m*ron is a Senior Political Reporter then I wondre what the juniors are like.