Zimbabwe At The Crossroads

Last week proved to be a very trying and telling week in Zimbabwe, and we know that a week in the political world these days can seem like an eternity.

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First of all there was the ruling from the Supreme Court against the State appeal on the acquittal of Roy Bennett in the case against him for banditry and firearms offences. President Robert Mugabe has vowed not to swear the elected Senator into Cabinet as Deputy Minister for Agriculture, citing this case as having needed to be completed before that happens.

Once acquitted, the State immediately launched an appeal against the ruling, and the Supreme Court initially reserved judgement indefinitely, but last week saw the judgement come out in favour of Bennett.

But, in the meantime, there have been more criminal charges laid against bennet, who is in self-imposed exile in South Africa. And who can blame him, as Mugabe continues to have trumped up charge after trumped up charge levelled against him?

On the internet this morning, I read of how ZANU PF is seeking to having Bennett kicked out of the Senate because of his lengthy absence in that august house.

One way or another, Mugabe gets his own way.

MDC: 1 - ZANU PF: 0

The same day that Bennett was cleared on appeal, the Supreme Court in Zimbabwe issued a judgement against the Movement for Democratic Change that the election of the Speaker of the House was carried out unconstitutionally, and therefore, the position becomes vacant and a new ballot is required.

The fact that no by-elections have been held since the March 2008 parliamentary election seems to have been overlooked by the court, but, be that as it may, the rush for candidates from the warring (I use the word advisedly) parties has yet to begin, but since Mugabe is intent on seeing an end to the coalitoon, there probably will not be a new round of votes to decide upon a new Speaker.

MDC: 1 – ZANU PF: 1

The straw that seems to have broken the camel's back was the arrest of the Minister of Energy & Power Development, Elton Mangoma, on some spurious charge that he awarded a multi-million dollar fuel tender to a little-known South African firm.

According to one report, Mangoma was virtually frogmarched from his offices by police details.

MDC: 1 – ZANU PF: 2

It was following this arrest that Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai stated that he would be seeking a 'divorce' from Robert Mugabe's ZANU PF party in the coalition government.

Obviously, I have chosen to begin the score at 0:0 for the given day, but there were many more instances that are really just too numerous to mention that show the duplicity of the ZANU PF party and their intent on regaining power over the Zimbabwean people.

And not only are they prepared to use force and violence to achieve their own ends, they are also apparently intent upon punishing the Zimbabwean people for their flirtation with the Movement for Democratic Change.

Daily we read how Mugabe has managed to use the armed forces as an unofficial extension to his destructive party and rule, and his penchant for blaming the countries woes upon the West.

I fail to understand how targeted sanctions upon Mugabe and his merry men have wrought destruction on the Zimbabwean economy – especially when we read how UK aid to Zimbabwe has increased 51%, and that America is assisting with banknotes and change to keep the fragile economy afloat!

Mugabe is a past master at twisting the truth to make him look like the aggrieved party, the saviour, the messiah, the only person capable to fighting the West and the failings which they ostensibly bring with them to the table.

Obviously, any sane and logic mind will see through the smoke screen, but the problem is that those that live daily with the threat of Mugabe dominance have very little by way of an alternative.

What now for Zimbabwe?

Robb WJ Ellis

The Bearded Man