Grace Mutandwa

Arms Trade Treaty: Arms in the wrong hands can wipe out a nation

More than a decade ago driving to and from work actually used to be a pleasure. Today you thank your lucky stars if you arrive to your destination without a major incident.

High unemployment and poverty has created a huge band of armed robbers and car jackers. Zimbabwe, like most African countries believes it is safe from its own citizens if it is armed to the teeth, so the defence budget will always surpass even that of health.

The result of our governments' paranoia is that we end up with small arms in the  wrong hands. Although Zimbabwe's cases of gun totting robbers is not as high as in  neighbouringSouth Africa, the numbers are increasing at an alarming rate.

The political and economic decline has also seen a large number of defene forces deserting and taking up crime.  We have read several stories of policemen or  soldiers absconding with guns and the weapons later being used in robberies.

In the past year some of those small arms were also used by people linked to the then ruling party, ZANU PF to intimidate and attack opposition supporters. Press reports revealed that some members of the army and police had during that period used small arms to beat the opposition into submission.

Securing a robust Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) should be high priority for every country that values rule of law, human rights and democracy. The ATT should be a legally  binding agreement between States that should be used to assess whether or not to  exportconventional arms. Every government owes it to its nationals to ensure that  the globalarms market is regulated to prevent weapons landing in the hands of human
rights abusers, terrorists and insurgents.

Last year Zimbabwe experienced a tense moment when a ship docked in Durban, South Africa ready to offload arms shipped from China, at a time when political violence in the country had reached unprecedented levels. Human rights activists worked tirelessly to ensure the arms would not find their way into Zimbabwe. Worries were that the arms would be used against civillians seen as enemies of the State.

It is sad to note that on 31 October 2008, at the United Nations General Assembly Zimbabwe and the United States voted against a resolution towards the establishment of  an ATT while 147 countries voted in favour and 18 abstained.

Any government that believes in unfettered access to arms must know that one day those very same arms might be turned against it - Africa bears massive evidence of this.  Irresponsible trade in arms threatens any efforts towards world peace and sustainable development.

A group of 150 students will on 15 June visit the Foreign Office to start what is a  week of action to support moves towards an Arms Trade Treaty. The United Kingdom needs other nations to help make the arms market safe.

Posted at 14:45 12 June 2009 by Grace Mutandwa  |  Comments[8]

Zimbabwe must embrace change to survive

When Ambassador Andrew Pocock presented his credentials to President Robert Mugabe on February 16, three years ago, he noted that the country was at a crossroads. He pointed out that if the prevailing political situation continued, the country could find itself beyond rescue.

Zimbabwe, he pointed out, had a choice. It could change track, change policies and give its people the life, prospects and future they deserved. The Zimbabwean government could make that choice.

At the end of this month Ambassador Pocock leaves Zimbabwe after having experienced first hand the ruinous policies of the ZANU PF government. He leaves when an inclusive government is in place but with not much change on the ground. Morgan Tsvangirai and his opposition colleagues would like to make this new government work. But their political willpower to do good is not positively matched by their counterparts in ZANU PF.

You have Tsvangirai and his compatriots insisting that Reserve Bank Governor, Gideon Gono and Attorney General Johannes Tomana must be relieved of their duties. Mugabe and his war veterans on the other hand insist Gono must stay. A senior airforce chief has also joined the fray. It leaves you with no doubt that ZANU PF has no intention of being party to sensible change.

You have one group of ZANU PF politicians moaning about how the image of the country needs to be cleansed. At the same time you have state newspapers publishing insulting and demeaning letters and and opinion pieces about top American and British diplomats.

You have Tsvangirai telling journalists that media reforms are already there for them to enjoy. The minister of information Webster Shamu and presidential spokesman George Charamba both tell us nothing has changed. As far as the two are concerned journalists still need the state's blessing to do their work.

ZANU PF's John Nkomo and MDC's Sekai Holland among others all tell us that in the spirit of inclusiveness we must develop "national alzheimer and forgiveness" and promote national healing! We need a major miracle.

In the coming weeks, Tsvangirai embarks on a working tour of Europe. He must convince the world that its taxpayers money will be put to good use and accounted for. He must leave no doubt in the minds of the political, development and business leaders he will meet that what Zimbabwe is embarking on is real and meaningful change and not just essence of change.

While he engages the international community, Tsvangirai must be honest enough to accept that there are major hurdles ahead. As he he tours Europe he must keep the faith with the people who still need jobs, food, shelter and education.

During his European tour, Tsvangirai must remain alert to the fact that behind the facade of the inclusive government, lurk the same people that threatened war in the elections last year and beat the nation to a pulp. He must realise that there can not be any real change until these people genuinely start to share power.

And as Ambassador Pocock said when he arrived three years ago, "Around us is a competitive and globalising world, and a modernising Africa. Can Zimbabwe position itself to become part of that?"

Posted at 16:15 05 June 2009 by Grace Mutandwa  |  Comments[1]