Zimbabwe Information Center in North America
A project of the North American Coalition for a Free Zimbabwe (NACFREEZ)
MDC
By Stanford G. Mukasa
Letter from America
August 25, 2008
Mugabe is as delusional as Don Quixote
The contents of the leaked document detailing the role and duties MDC president, Morgan Tsvangirai, was being offered as prime minister in the so-called government of national unity have rightly received widespread criticism. It more than justifies Tsvangirai’s refusal to sign the proposed agreement.
Based on the leaked document, what Mugabe was offering Tsvangirai was an advisory rather than executive role. Mugabe kept to himself all key and strategic executive powers.
The leaked document reveals what was tantamount to the swallowing of MDC into a world totally controlled by Mugabe and ZANUPF.
The widespread public criticism of this document has strengthened Tsvangirai’s support base. Had this leaked document been submitted to a referendum it would have been massively rejected.
In 1972 the Pearce Commission attempted to sell to the people of Zimbabwe a constitutional proposal that, to all intents and purposes, would have left political power strongly entrenched under the Ian Smith dominated government.
It was solidly rejected.
Another attempt, this time by the Mugabe regime to sell a new constitutional proposal was also rejected by the Zimbabweans.
The message from Zimbabweans in rejecting these constitutional proposals was loud and clear: Zimbabweans will not accept any smokescreen attempts to sweeten conditions of their oppression.
On March 29 Zimbabweans made a historic decision when they voted Mugabe and ZANUPF out of power. And Zimbabweans have not changed their minds.
Attempts by Mugabe’s militia thugs to force Zimbabweans to reverse their decision and support Mugabe did not succeed. Even the international community refused to accept as legitimate the June 28 run-off presidential election and its results. Had the run-off been free and fair Mugabe would have received a massive and humiliating defeat.
The leaked document on the proposed roles and duties of the position of the prime minister that was offered to Tsvangirai was part of Mugabe’s game plan. Mugabe wanted this document to be negotiated in secret where he hoped he and his butcher’s helper South African president Thabo Mbeki would use all kinds of tactics to arm-twist Tsvangirai to sign it.
But Mugabe’s sweet talking and all those public handshakes with leaders of the opposition movement was psychological gimmick intended to create the impression that Mugabe was a human being with a caring heart. That public relations stunt could have won Mugabe some support from a large chunk of the population, at least that is what Mugabe and his handlers thought. But just as back in 1972 Ian Smith thought he could win Zimbabweans’ support for the Pearce Commission constitutional proposal, Mugabe’s deception in his proposal for a government of national unity was too evident to Zimbabweans who now know him only too well to fall for any of his bags of tricks.
The only consolation Mugabe can claim is the ready and eager acceptance of his proposal for a government of national unity the leadership of the splinter group of the MDC led by Arthur Mutambara and his sidekick Welshman Ncube. Why two apparent intellectuals would be so dumb as to accept such a meaningless proposal will be one of those intellectual puzzles for historians and political scientist to decipher.
To allow Mugabe the same executive powers that he has historically abused with impunity raises some very serious questions about Mutambara and Ncube’s integrity and credibility. It was amazing that Ncube was quoted as saying that Mugabe’s proposals for a government of national unity were in Ncube’s words practicable.
And even as Ncube and Mutambara were cheerleading Mugabe on these proposals Mugabe is starving millions of Zimbabweans by denying them food donated from aboard.
It is believed food stocks are locked up in warehouses and are likely to rot. More supporters of the MDC had been beaten, tortured and some killed by Mugabe’s thugs. This evil decision to withhold food supplies from being distributed to the masses that need them most is a clear reflection of the cynical, Fascist and cold calculated murderous regime of Mugabe.
The opening of Parliament is yet another strategy in Mugabe’s game plan. Now the world’s attention is focused on this largely ceremonial event. Mugabe and ZANUPF emasculated Parliament many years ago. Members of Parliament have now lost any meaningful role in Zimbabwean politics. Parliament has now become a rubber stamp, easily manipulable by Mugabe and his so called Politburo and Central committee in the ZANUPF.
In the past few years Parliament has been adjourned, sometimes a day or so after it convened. Each year Parliament meets for a short time and has breaks that can last several months!
There is talk that soon after opening Parliament Mugabe will shut or adjourn Parliament after a day or two. This will avoid Parliament, whose majority are members of the opposition movement, from thoroughly scrutinizing Mugabe and ZANUPF.
It will not make any difference in power dynamics whether the speaker of Parliament is from MDC or ZANUPF, the real power that controls Parliament lies in Mugabe’s inner cabinet or the Joint Operations Command. Parliament is being maintained to fool the world that Zimbabwe has a Parliamentary democracy. Pictures of Mugabe opening and addressing Parliament and glimpses of Members of Parliament taking their seats is all the world will be allowed to see. After that Parliamentary deliberations will be off the spotlight.
Whether MDC attends or boycotts Parliament will not make any significant difference because of the towering shadow of the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs who can, notwithstanding which party has the majority number of MPs in the House, make an arbitrary decision on when Parliament should adjourn, how long MPs should stay away from Parliament, and when Parliament can be recalled.
But whatever tricks Mugabe uses to maintain his political supremacy in Zimbabwe; whether Mugabe and ZANUPF manipulate the election of the Speaker of Parliament; or enter into a side agreement with the Mutambara splinter group – all of his tricks will not rehabilitate the economy. Yet it’s the economy that will largely bring Mugabe down.
Mugabe and ZANUPF will thump themselves or each other on their chests in their never –ending boasts that they have retained the status quo in the governance of the country. But they, just like the Spanish Don Quixote who fought the windmills thinking they were large monsters, live in the delusional world that they have conquered their enemies. They have yet to conquer the giant of the country’s economic problems.