Candid comment: Zim crisis requires all stakeholders

Corrections
ON behalf of all suffering Zimbabweans who seek genuine peace, freedom and respect for human rights, we the Europe province of the first party to fight for these issues in Zimbabwe, welcomed the three-day visit by South African President Jacob Zuma to “facilitate removal of obstacles”.

ON behalf of all suffering Zimbabweans who seek genuine peace, freedom and respect for human rights, we the Europe province of the first party to fight for these issues in Zimbabwe, welcomed the three-day visit by South African President Jacob Zuma to “facilitate removal of obstacles”.

In attempts to resolve the issues between Zanu PF and the MDC, we believe that it is now time for the parties to the September 15 2008 global political agreement (GPA) to admit that they have failed Zimbabweans. Because of their selfish motives, the parties have failed to implement their agreement.

 

They have not achieved the set objectives or even to adhere to their declared commitment as provided by Article II (2) of the GPA that: “The Parties hereby declare and agree to work together to create a genuine, viable, permanent, sustainable and nationally acceptable solution to the Zimbabwean situation with the aims of resolving once and for all the current political and economic situations.”

It has been more than a year since the MDC-Zanu PF unity government came to power, but Zimbabweans continue to echo President Zuma’s predecessor Thabo Mbeki’s words: “When will the day come that our dignity will be fully restored, when the purposes of our lives will no longer be merely to survive until the sun rises tomorrow.”

The parties have failed to implement an acceptable solution to the Zimbabwean crisis. It is clear that the real obstacle to progress in Zimbabwe is both MDC and Zanu PF who believe that it is only they and nobody else that have a right to rule Zimbabwe or have a say in how the current crisis can be resolved.

This is clear from the GPA which was agreed without any consultation with Zimbabweans, the civil society or other political parties.

We encourage His Excellency, President Zuma to recall the words of Winston Churchill who once said: “However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.”

There is no evidence that the GNU is working or delivering for the people of Zimbabwe. Farm invasions, persecutions, torture and closure of media and democratic space continues.

Opposition parties and increasingly civil society are excluded from participation. The MDC has joined hands with Zanu PF in abusing power, corruption and even defending injustices.

There is fear of including others. The GPA parties are even conniving and refusing to hold by-elections in vacant constituencies for fear that Zapu will win these by-elections and create a political headache for them.

Former South African President Nelson Mandela observed “failure of leadership” in Zimbabwe some two years ago.

Not surprisingly, the GPA parties appear to have no clue how to run the country because the lives of ordinary people continue to deteriorate, the constitution-making process is continuously pushed back to avoid new elections, civil servants have started strikes because of unfulfilled promises and the GNU is hampered by continuous bickering on positions of power, pending issues and costly negotiations.

We now appeal to President Zuma and Sadc to reconsider the myth that the Zimbabwean solution lies in the GPA or the two MDC factions and Zanu PF exclusively.

Zapu has a bigger constituency and has answers and credible solutions to the crisis. So do other political players and civil society.

The GPA parties appear to lack the seriousness of resolving the real problems and the betterment of lives of Zimbabweans, who on a daily basis join the trek to Zimbabwe’s neighbours and mostly to South Africa.The GPA parties appear to only want to advance their selfish political ends.

More stakeholders must be invited to the roundtable to work out a credible way forward for Zimbabwe.

Zenzo Ncube is Zapu secretary for marketing and communication (Europe Province).

 

 

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