THE political parties should take part in the power-sharing government in order to preserve and consolidate the democratic gains achieved so far. Though the whole deal is far from being equitable power-sharing, I believe it still offers Zimbabweans a window of space to continue the struggle for democracy in Zimbabwe. The opposition is fighting for an even political environment and is scoring remarkable victories against the ruling party. For example the environment in which the March 29 harmonised elections took place can be argued to be the best political environment in the history of Zimbabwe. That in my opinion is a product of efforts by the opposition parties and other democratic forces that has been in this war against the one party state policy.Mugabe thought that only Zanu PF and people of his choice can form a government, but today he is forced to swallow reality as he is pressured to accept the opposition in the formation of a government. The opposition should enter into the government and cabinet not as Mugabe’s surrogates but as representatives of the will of the people. The MDC must now consolidate the gains and the labour of the years that has been achieved at a very high cost, considering lives that have been lost in the struggle.The struggle for democracy is on its path to victory in Zimbabwe and one just has to observe how Mugabe is running out of ideas and the obvious frustration he exudes. His recent shenanigans during Sadc’s deliberations on the Zimbabwean issue are clear evidence of this. Sadc will soon run out of patience with this kind of behaviour from a leader of a member nation. The attempt to run the state through the central bank is another pointer to the desperation of the Mugabe regime. Â Along these lines the opposition should take their space in the so-called government of power-sharing and consolidate rather than lose their gains. I think it is also better to continue to fight from within rather than from outside as one nutty professor of political science once remarked. After all this is just a temporary arrangement before elections to form a proper government take place in the near future.
Stanley Tapfumaneyi Tapera,Old Highfield, Harare.     Â
