The perfect cop out

The Government of National Unity has not done enough to warrant a reward. More than a year after the signing of the agreement, Zanu (PF) continues steadfastly to refuse any form of meaningful power sharing.

Draconian legislation is still in place, denying Zimbabweans their rights to assembly, freedom of speech, access to information and many under fundamental rights.

Zanu (PF) thugs are still roaming the countryside beating up opposition supporters, assisted by the army and the police who, with a few notable exceptions, continue to operate as a Zanu (PF) militia. It is pleasing to receive reports every now and again indicating that not every soldier or policeman is a bad egg. But certainly the hierarchy is still very rotten.

Zanu (PF) keeps harping on about how it will make no more concessions to the MDC unless sanctions are lifted.

No one is asking them to make concessions to the MDC! Zimbabweans, and indeed the international community, simply expect them to implement the terms of the agreement their leader, Robert Mugabe, signed last year of his own free will.

The agreement itself actually favours Zanu (PF). We said at the time that MDC had made too many concessions, especially in the wake of the results of the March 2008 elections, which it won convincingly. Despite this, they agreed to play second fiddle in the so-called unity government.

In some ways we believe that Zanu (PF) actually prefers to have the targeted measures in place. It gives them an excuse for not implementing the power sharing agreement. It is the perfect cop out.

They know very well that if they implement in full the terms of the agreement, and bring about true democracy with free and fair elections they will never win.

The present chaos suits them. They continue to rule by default and to enrich themselves beyond all our wildest dreams.

This is the Catch 22 situation in which Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai finds himself and which has exercised all friends of Zimbabwe including the nations of the European Union – for some time now.

Our position is the targeted measures must remain until the GPA is implemented and not the other way around. Mugabe has fooled too many people for too long now.