However it is said “a picture is worth a thousand words” and the few pictures of Mugabe we have seen in Uganda and in China being assisted are not reassuring. What he cannot laugh-off is that he is ageing while in office, hence the public’s concern. According to Neil Moonie (2000), “When we meet people we have not seen for some time, we usually ask how they are, and we would be quite surprised if they replied with full information about the state of their health –– most of the responses we get are usually fairly simple and often inaccurate, such as “fine” or “not so bad”. Rarely do people tell us about details of their health or well-being.” This is what I think Chinaka should have asked: lIn view of the fast approaching 30-day deadline set by Sadc to implement the GPA without evidence of progress, do you agree that you could have lost an important opportunity to at least prove to the world that you were sincere in signing the agreement in the first place?lAlthough the succession issue is mainly a Zanu PF matter, there is no denying the fact that the country and foreign investors are daily becoming more and more anxious about the speedy resolution of who is going to succeed you. Would you shed some light on that? lCan you confirm when the referendum on the new constitution will be held?lIs it correct that presidential elections will be held in March-April 2011, which appears to be the traditional election month?lAre you going to allow Morgan Tsvangirai to move into Zimbabwe House in keeping with his status as Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister?lThere is a growing perception in Zimbabwe and indeed abroad that the ongoing indigenisation or partial take-over of foreign businesses is just a means of rewarding your supporters in Zanu PF for enduring Western targeted sanctions and for their role in propping-up your government during widespread human rights abuses?lRecently, you were quoted as advising Nigel Chanakira to use the indigenisation laws in his dispute with fellow shareholders of Kingdom Holdings and Meikles Group. What would be your advice to the exiled Zimbabwean banker Gilbert Muponda whose shareholding in Century Bank was illegally seized by government and later re-branded into CFX Bank before being sold on against his wishes?Clifford Mashiri, [email protected]
