The end of Mugabe?, Wilf Mbanga The Zimbabwean

Fri, 14 Oct 2005 00:00:00 +0100

Zimbabweans of all political persuasions are now beginning to look beyond Robert Mugabe’s doomed reign. Governments in Europe and the United States are gearing themselves to work with a post-Mugabe administration, as they realise that South Africa’s Thabo Mbeki is playing games and can no longer be relied upon to play a meaningful role in breaking Zimbabwe’s political logjam.

Even MPs within the ruling Zanu-PF party have now come to realise that Mugabe will soon be yesterday’s man, and once he has gone they will be left with a failed state. They must therefore make their peace with the new dispensation – and with 12 million Zimbabweans as well as the international community.

As Mugabe’s inevitable departure date draws near, ambitious politicians – anxious to save their own bacon – are desperately vying for position within the ruling party. However, fear of Mugabe and his all-seeing Central Intelligence Organisation have forced them to negotiate secretly with selected officials from the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

To this end, The Zimbabwean can reveal that two clandestine meetings have been held recently under the auspices of Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), which represents 114 parliaments around the world and works for peace and democracy, international law, human rights and sustainable growth.

These articles were originally published in the weekly newspaper The Zimbabwean, which has regular news, analysis, features, discussion and up-to-the-minute reports on Zimbabwe. You can read it online here

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The participants in the meetings – one in Washington and one in London, attended by twenty-five MPs from each of the two parties – generally accepted that a new Zimbabwe must have an administration of individuals who are considered “clean” by the people.

“The post-Mugabe government will need to comprise people who are not tainted by the many human rights abuses of the Mugabe regime, such as the Gukurahundi massacres, Operation Murambatsvina, the formulation of unjust and draconian legislation and corruption,” said a source who attended both meetings.

He said that Zimbabweans from both parties had got on well with each other and a lot of progress had been made in terms of understanding how a new Zimbabwe could be brought about after Mugabe.

“There has been discussion recently about the emergence of a third force in Zimbabwean politics, but this initiative has nothing to do with that,” he emphasised.

The source confirmed that Jonathan Moyo was unacceptable to both parties. The former minister of information was largely responsible for the draconian press law, the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Aippa), which led to the emasculation of any semblance of a free press for Zimbabweans.

Other individuals currently in high positions who were listed as undesirable characters included: Patrick Chinamasa, Didymus Mutasa, agriculture minister Joseph Made, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Aeneas Chigwedere and transport minister Christopher Mushohwe.

The clock is ticking for Robert Mugabe.

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The end of Mugabe?, Wilf Mbanga The Zimbabwean