GRANTING MUGABE IMMUNITY FOR HIS HEINOUS POLITICAL MURDERS IS NOT A WIN - WIN SOLUTION!

GEOFFREY NYAROTA HAS PROPOSED THAT ZIMBABWEAN SHOULD GRANT MUGABE IMMUNITY FROM PROSECUTION FOR ALL THE POLITICAL MURDERS HE SANCTIONED JUST SO THE COUNTRY CAN CONCENTRATE ON THE OTHER IMPORTANT TASKS OF REBUILDING THE COUNTRY. HE SEES THIS AS THE WIN - WIN SOLUTION. (SEE thezimbabwetimes.com and click on NYAROTA BLOG FOR THE FULL ARTICLE.) THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT DEBATE - BELOW IS MY VIEW.

Geoff

You start by referring to a Tendai Biti statement confirming that MDC has promised Mugabe immunity from prosecution for all his past human rights violations. (I must be pointed out from the on-set that Mugabe has never ever admitted to any human rights violations. The nearest he has come to that was to attribute recent acts of wanton intimidations and murders to lack of training by the state security agents. But lets put this aside for now.) In other words t it no longer a matter for Zimbabweans to consider this option; it is being presented to us a facto accompli.

MDC did not only take a page from Mugabe’s book in terms of making important policy announcement whilst outside Zimbabwe. They have also copied from Mugabe to make decision affecting the whole nation without even bothering to consult the people- as if the people are simply too stupid to be allowed a meaningful say in anything of importance!

So Mugabe was granted immunity and the power sharing deal signed. The question you should have therefore asked is, will Zimbabwe now be allowed to move on and address the many teething political and economic problems?

It is now over two weeks since the signing of the so called “historic” Zanu PF – MDC power sharing deal. (In 1987 the late J Nkomo signed a similar deal. It was not historic even then; there were countless other sell-out deals before that!) Given the sorry state of the nation and the tragic human suffering, would it be too much to expect the parties to have a sense of urgency. Instead the parties have been bickering about who holds what ministerial office.

You alluded to the reason why granting Mugabe immunity would achieve nothing when you said he would not trust anyone to honour the promise. He has never kept any promise himself all his life and naturally he sees every other politician in the same way. In the case of MDC, of all people Mugabe would know that MDC’s word is absolutely worthless. He was able to get everything he asked for from MDC in the present deal; the party would just as ready hand him over to ICC.

So besides the promise for immunity Mugabe still wanted to remain in State House and in total control of everything. I am not a betting man, but in this case I will bet my bottom dollar on 1000 to 1 that this Unity Government will never achieve even half of the things you predicted in your win-win.

Zimbabwe’s economic and political problems all emanate from one thing, that we are not a principled people. There are some things a principled person would never ever compromise on let alone give away. Starting with Mugabe himself and his fellow leaders in Zanu PF to J Nkomo and PF Zapu right down to M Tsvangirai and his friends in MDC they have all shown that they will trade everything, absolutely everything including the sanctity of human life, to further their political careers!

The principled position is that no one is above; Mugabe and not just his henchmen must answer for the blood of the innocent Zimbabweans on their hands. The only thing one can promise them is that they will all have a fair trial. It was not for them to take one Zimbabwean life and they killed thousands! It is not sheer madness for the nation let alone a handful of presumptuous political leaders to sweep such heinous criminals under the carpet.

Mugabe sanctioned these crimes confident that he will get away with it. What will be there to stop whoever becomes the next President doing the same? Where and when will it all ends? No; we must stand by the rule of law and never ever try to appease dictators like Mugabe.

Mwanawevhu

Yes, Arthur Mutambara’s rise up the political ladder has been meteoric, but only because he has shown that he has absolutely no principles. You would agree with me there are people like the late S Muzenda and many others within Zanu PF who have held on to very senior positions for decades. I would not attribute their political success to “strategic thinking”; because, for the positions they held, they certainly did not have the brains to deserve it!