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March 29, watershed for Zimbabwe,
Staff Reporter

President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe

For several years now, Zimbabwe has been on top of the SADC, Africa and the world agenda yet seemingly nothing has changed for the better despite the more than enough summits, conferences and discussions on the subject. Whether the issue in that country is land, re-colonization by Britain and its allies or mismanagement by President Mugabe’s government, it is not my concern in this commentary. Rather my concern is that Zimbabweans continue to suffer - sanctions or bad governance. Zimbabweans have become the shock absorbers of the ongoing politicking in that country.
Since the 2002 presidential election, which gave President Mugabe his 5th term, the country’s main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) was until last year in the courts contesting the allegedly rigged result. Another election beckons in less than a month from now and other than being heroes in the Western Media and other private media the MDC is yet to give an account of themselves to the people of Zimbabwe. This is not an attack on that party but rather a genuine concern on that party’s agenda and execution of duty. I always wonder what gospel they would be preaching if the ruling Zanu PF was to be extinct today. They have never convinced me on their mandate, manifesto and ability to turn the fortunes of Zimbabwe other than bad mouth the government and its policies.
Is it a party sorely in existence to criticize the government? What value does it add to the lives of Zimbabweans? Are we about to see another showdown of MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai contesting the result of these coming elections in the Zimbabwean courts and international media? - An election in which the campaign strategy of his party has many gaps especially in the rural Zimbabwe and the division within has done more harm than good. Zimbabweans seem to have lost confidence in the division rocked MDC. Worse still, whether Tsvangirai’s international pomp and call for sanctions are warranted, I’m not convinced that it adds value to the lives of the people of Zimbabwe.
On the other hand President Mugabe’s government has been steadfast on its repossession of the land. The continued reclaiming of all the sectors of the economy in Zimbabwe like the agriculture sector, mining and industry in general do not seem to have changed the fortunes of Zimbabweans.
But who is to blame? As I promised I will not be conclusive but still Zimbabweans are suffering! All that having been said, my point is Zimbabwe is Africa’s baby and it is high time this fact is fully appreciated both in essence and in practice. This is not a time for conferences and signatures but a time for genuine and hearty involvement from all corners of Africa to save not a political party or a person but the people of Zimbabwe. Let me go on to March 29, which was the supposed subject of my article in the first place. This is the day Zimbabweans will go to the polls in a harmonized election to elect the President, members of both the Lower and Upper House of Assembly and local government representatives. With the beckoning election I could see rays of hope in the eyes of many Zimbabweans while on my recent visit to the SouthernAfrican state. Not that they want Mugabe to go as much as they want Tsvangirai to come in, all they want is to be able to survive and have the basics of life and to be Africa’s sunshine again.

With the coming in of a new kid on the Presidential race line-up in the person of Dr. Simba Makoni, I could feel the excitement in the atmosphere. Since the day Makoni announced his intention, it seems to have added an element of hope to a seeming formality, to which I had predicted a history breaking voter apathy and President Mugabe winning. But now that there is Dr. Simba Makoni, will Zimbabweans come out to vote and will the result help in any way to change the situation. Whether Mugabe, Makoni or Tsvangirai wins, will March 29th be the watershed for the people of Zimbabwe who I believe have suffered enough and whose resilience I have so much respect for? Another interesting aspect in these elections is the hot fight for seats in the ruling Zanu PF as all cabinet ministers now have to battle it out in the House of Assembly elections if at all they are hoping to retain their portfolios. A constitutional amendment in Zimbabwe has made it impossible for President Mugabe or any one elected President to appoint more than five members in both the lower and upper house. This means all the cabinet Ministers who had no constituencies risk losing their jobs.

Could this also be a source of hope for the Zimbabweans or is it just one of those technicalities which always see the ordinary Zimbabwean being knocked out? The opposition, MDC seem to have been upset seriously by the birth of Dr. Simba Makoni who seems to be winning a huge chunk of the urban voters who seem to have lost hope in Tsvangirai who has been in existence for close to a decade now without producing any meaningful result for the Zimbabweans.

Pahad says elections 'last chance to save Zimbambwe'

SOUTH Africa’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Aziz Pahad, says the forthcoming Zimbabwe general elections could be the last opportunity for Zimbabweans to save their country.
Pahad says everything possible said: “I believe the Zimbabweans now have the opportunity to save their country. I believe it is a very crucial moment, a decisive moment for the Zimbabwean people.
“It is a decisive moment for the economic situation and for stability in the whole region. We must all do everything that we can to ensure that the elections are free and fair.”
Meanwhile, Zimbabwean opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, says it will be impossible to have free and fair elections next month.
He has reacted after Zimbabwe’s Former Finance Minister, Simba Makoni, reiterated that he would contest next month’s election as an independent candidate.
“We have always emphasised that the forthcoming election cannot be free and fair, that is why the SADC initiative was a ray of hope for creating those conditions. Unfortunately this has not come to pass so the same conditions of Mugabe running the election according to his rules will apply.”
Tsvangirai also says that President Thabo Mbeki’s mediation efforts in Zimbabwe have completely failed, although Pahad disputes this. must be done to ensure free and fair elections.
Pahad told a media briefing at the South African Parliament that all five substantive issues at the heart of the mediation process have been accepted by all parties.
“It will be good to ask the question, not to us, but to one of the MDC parties, if the mediation has failed. He (Tsvangirai) will have to explain to SADC and everybody what he means by ‘the mediation has failed’... All the parties are now... preparing for elections... If the mediation has failed, it is difficult for me to understand why everybody is preparing for elections,” said Pahad –NewZimbabwe.com