The Financial Gazette

Njabulo Ncube, Assistant Editor

PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has complained bitterly to President Robert Mugabe over what he views as machinations by his main rival to create no-go areas for the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) in perceived ZANU-PF strongholds ahead of fresh polls.

The premier, who has been on a whirlwind tour of the country to assess the levels of poverty as well as the state of development, has been prevented from venturing into some parts of Mashonaland by ZANU-PF agent provocateurs at the behest of their provincial leadership.
Last Friday, a mob of ZANU-PF supporters blocked the MDC-T leader from visiting market stalls at Murehwa Shopping Centre in Mashonaland East amid threats of violence and physical harm targeting the premier and members of his delegation.
The premier had visited Murehwa Centre as part of his countrywide tour to assess the needs of the people ahead of the National Budget presentation by Finance Minister, Tendai Biti, later this month or early next month.
Biti, the MDC-T secretary-general, is currently living in fear of his personal security after a mob of youths linked to ZANU-PF, picketed outside his ministry's offices demanding funds to bankroll income-generating projects.
In Murehwa North, the ZANU-PF leadership mobilised villagers last week against meeting the premier. The villagers, still smarting from the last violent elections in 2008, were allegedly threatened with dire consequences in the event that they disregarded orders from their leaders.
When Prime Minister Tsvangirai visited Mudzi and Mutoko districts last week, he was shunned by villagers while senior civil servants fled for fear of victimisation post the visit by the MDC-T president.
Some senior civil servants in the two districts reportedly sent juniors to represent them for fear of being linked with the MDC-T leader.
But with fresh elections on the horizon, panic is said to have set in the premier's election machinery amid suspicions that ZANU-PF wanted to create no-go areas for its opponents countrywide ahead of the polls.
MDC-T insiders said the premier had raised the issue with President Mugabe when they met on Monday to discuss the goings-on in the coalition government.
While Presidential spokesperson, George Charamba, could not immediately confirm this, the Prime Minister's spokesperson, Luke Tamborinyoka, said the issue was indeed discussed on Monday.
"It is true that the Prime Minister spoke to the President about it. It is also pertinent to note that the Prime Minister would be in these provinces as head of government and notpresident of the MDC. When you have District Administrators and some senior government officials shying away from the Prime Minister, it does not bode well for the political environment in this country," he said.
Charles Mangongera, a political analyst, said it was awkward for a Prime Minister of a country, who is supposed to oversee the implementation of government policy, to be barred from visiting certain areas in his country.
"It just underscores what some of us have said time and again that the government of national unity is unworkable because you have one party in control of the security apparatus of the State and doing everything it can to stifle progress and another party that was given responsibility to deliver services, but without the authority to do so," said Mangongera.
Pedzisai Ruhanya, a political analyst, said the barring of the Prime Minister from entering certain parts of the country showed that ZANU-PF was already in an election mood.
"And one of its strategies is to create electoral buffer zones or electoral hotspots where they use violence to intimidate citizens and stop its political opponents from campaigning," said Ruhanya.