Grace Mutandwa

Hopes and fears

“I’m just anxious to see whether it works. Though with a lot of mistrust and suspicion it’s going to be tricky. There will be trial and error.”

That’s my Zimbabwean bank manager’s view of the new unity Government that will probably be formed next week.

My tennis partner lives in Glenview where water and electricity are more rare than the kind of snow London’s getting at the moment. He feels something similar, “We’ve got to give it a go. Any change is better than no change.”

It’s hard to be scientific in a country without opinion polls, but I reckon that most Zimbabweans feel a similar weary, limited optimism that Morgan Tsvangirai and Robert Mugabe have decided to establish a joint Government.

If all goes to plan Tsvangirai will be sworn in as Prime Minister next week. Whatever the future holds it’s amazing that a man who was a miner for ten years in the provincial town of Gutu is now going to lead the country. And it is satisfying to see some justice done – Tsvangirai came first in Zimbabwe’s Presidential election last March, so it’s right that he takes office.

There are reasons to be sceptical about the Government’s prospects. Just two years ago government agents detained and tortured Morgan Tsvangirai, breaking his skull. A dozen members of the MDC are in prison now, apparently just because of their political allegiance. It’s hard to see Tsvangirai trusting Mugabe any time soon.  

The power sharing arrangements themselves look a bit ramshackle. Mugabe and Tsvangirai will each hold senior executive office. Each of their parties will supply a dozen ministers. Each will chair a national-decision making body. It looks very much like two Governments operating side-by-side. The question will be what happens when these two Governments don’t agree? 

But the greatest hurdle the new administration will face is the appalling situation Zimbabwe finds itself in. The economy is broken beyond local repair. The Finance Minister has admitted the currency is worthless. Basic systems - education, health, transport, electricity, water supply – are things of the past for most Zimbabweans. It would be hard for any team of politicians to address these problems, but infinitely harder for a divided and experimental Government.
 
So there are troubles ahead, but for now there’s a little hope to help people face the new day. My own hope is that Zimbabwe’s leaders can live up to their people’s expectations.

Posted at 11:22 05 February 2009 by Philip Barclay  |  Comments[3]