PROFESSOR Arthur Mutambara has several times spoken against the need for fresh elections next year. Mutambara bases his argument on proposals that the economy needs to develop first before we think of holding elections, and that the political environment is not yet conducive for a free and fair election.

Both economic growth and a conducive environment for the holding of free and fair elections are highly desirable, but my assessment of events since the formation of the inclusive government is that it is better to have elections supervised by the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) if any of the things Professor Mutambara, and indeed every other progressive Zimbabwean, want are to be achieved.

The prolonged stay of the inclusive government means a prolonged abuse of human rights. This is clearly demonstrated by the amount of violence and intimidation that has been reported during the constitution-making process, and the fact that the police have failed to act even where the culprits have been identified  and are well known.

I now tend to agree with a prominent United Nations personality who said the constitution-making process should have been monitored by external forces such as Sadc and the UN. Events during the current constitution-making process are evidence that no matter how professional Minister Theresa Makone may want the police force to be, they are simply not capable of upholding the rule of law under the commissionership of Augustine Chihuri, a Mugabe appointee.

The pattern of impunity will never end, and even if elections were to be held 10 years down the line, Chihuri would  still instruct the police officers not to arrest Zanu PF youths and war veterans who will unleash violence on innocent pro-democracy Zimbabweans.

Zimbabweans should instead, demand a supervised election in which the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission will be supervised by a team from Sadc. As suggested by the MDC-T recently, Sadc officials assigned to the elections should be in the country at least six months before the poll. While not suggesting that the Sadc elections supervision team stays for another six months after the elections if the situation is calm, it should, however, monitor the power transfer process and remain in the country until a peaceful environment has been established.

On the economic front, there will never be meaningful progress as long as Mugabe is in control. Professor Mutambara must remember how the groundwork that had been done to revive Ziscosteel was shattered by none other than President Robert Mugabe. Professor Welshman Ncube has explained how, after all the hard work that had been put into funding companies that would revive the ailing steel manufacturer, Mugabe dictated that the companies which had been recommended — the India-based Jindal Steel or Arcellor Mittal’s South Africa unit — two of the world leading steel manufacturers were “too big” to be given the project which would help quickly turn around the fortunes of the country. 

There are several other suggestions that have been made to help speed up the recovery process, such as getting Zimbabwe classified as a Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC), which have been shot down by Zanu PF. The majority of Zimbabweans live below the poverty datum line, so to argue against placing Zimbabwe as a HIPC can only be seen as a strategy by the affluent Zanu PF politicians to maintain the status quo.

Suggestions for World Bank monitored projects have also been shot down by Zanu PF, because Zanu PF officials would not have the opportunity to abuse funds if World Bank-monitored projects were to be implemented.

 It is up to Professor Mutambara to objectively reflect on the developments obtaining on the ground, and chances are high that he would agree with me and other progressive Zimbabweans that there would never be a conducive environment for a free and fair elections as long August Chihuri is in charge of the police and there is no direct election supervision by external bodies like Sadc, the AU and the United Nations; and that there will be no meaningful economic recovery as long as Mugabe is at the helm.

The sooner free and fair elections were held, the better, and that requires Professor Mutambara and the MDC-M to join hands with the MDC-T and make as much noise as possible to get Sadc to realise the need to directly supervise the elections run by the newly appointed ZEC.
 
Benjamin Chitate
New Zealand  

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