Tsvangirai and MDC have made one blunder after another and its decision to confront violent Zanu PF thugs with violence is yet another act of folly by MDC for the nation will pay dearly for in numbers of victims with broken heads and limbs and in body bags.
The art of war is knowing your strengths and weaknesses including those of the enemy and then to outwit him by engaging him at the opportune time and place to maximize your advantages and minimise your disadvantages. Robert Mugabe has toyed with Morgan Tsvangirai; coning Tsvangirai into signing a GPA truce when the dictator was down and out after the sham 2008 elections only for Mugabe to then refuse to implement not even one of the democratic reforms agreed. Tsvangirai’s greatest weakness is that he does not even know his strength nor has the intellectual attitude to use it!
The problem of politically motivated violence is getting worse and the Zanu PF thugs have the audacity of beating up people even in the presence of the Police!
“There is this unwritten law that is understood by ZANU PF that you cannot arrest their members. We have talked about it in parliament, in cabinet and party meetings. But what difference does it make if the hands of the police are tied," the MDC Co-Minister of Home Affairs Ms Theresa Makone said.
The Minister admitted the Police were getting instructions from Mugabe himself not to arrest the thugs. Surely it is up to Parliament to challenge the source of this “unwritten” law and what constitutional powers authorise Mugabe to gives instructions undermining the nation’s ability to carryout its most basic function of maintaining law and order and safe guard the security of the people.
The Parliament of Zimbabwe is the only body in the land empowered to write the laws of the lands. And Parliament, even with all the constitutional amendments and tinkering by Mugabe and Zanu PF over the last three decades, still remains the most powerful institution in the land. Parliament has the power and authority to have anybody or representative of any company or institution arrest, tried and punished. It can have the State President impeached, tried and, if convicted, de-robed and punished him!
MDC have the majority in Parliament and if parliament can not act on such a critical matter then who can?!
MDC has again and again referred Zimbabwe’s political problems to SADC. SADC would step in and help if it was a matter of lack of human or financial resources to ensure there was adequate policing for example. What is lacking here is the political will to stand up to those bend on subverting the rule of law for political gain.
Calls by MDC leaders to the party supporters to “defend themselves” against Zanu PF thugs is ill advised. Mugabe has boasted of having “degrees in violence” and he will have all the state military mighty to back his party thugs. MDC supporters and defenceless Zimbabweans will be like lambs to the slaughter.
Yes, the matter has now come down to Zimbabwe Parliament having to rein in the excesses of a tyrannical State President.
“What are we all?” Oliver Cromwell asked the British Member of Parliament when the British faced a similar challenge of a tyrannical King Charles 1. “Quivering and cowering like serfs! It is not the survival of the King that is at issue here. It is the survival of England. And England is NOT the King!”
The path of lawlessness and thuggery Mugabe has taken the country all these last three decades has costed Zimbabwe dearly in terms of all the economic hardships the people have suffered, plus the hundreds of thousands of broken heads and limbs and the tens of thousands murdered. Mugabe should not be allowed to go through with the next wave of madness he is unleashing on the nation before more innocent Zimbabwean blood is shed.
There is nothing more obnoxious than someone who has the power, authority, the opportunity; everything to stop a heinous crime being committed but fail to do so out of cowardice!
It is the survival of Zimbabwe that is at issue here not that of the tyrant!
3 comments:
Mugabe slams ICC for going after African leaders but turning a blind eye to the wrongs committed by Western leaders.
Yes Mugabe the ICC may well be blind to the wrong doers from the West but you have admit it that all these Western leaders are truly accountable to all the courts in their respective countries and, above all, are accountable to their people. The same can not be said about you and many of your fellow African leaders because you have undermined and corrupted the courts and have denied the people their fundamental right to a free vote. Africa's courts are blind to your reign of terror and murder, it is right that there is at least one court that is not blind - ICC.
May ICC hunt down and punish all Africa's tyrants. Viva ICC!
Yes if the Police and Army disobeyed orders that would certainly mark the beginning of the end of this culture of political violence. But to be honest, there is no sign of that happening at in the near future. Meanwhile I think there is a lot more we could be doing to end this madness if only we can stop burying our heads in the sands and think!
@ Robmug
Where was Tsvangirai, Mudzuri, Biti or any of the other MDC leaders when some local MDC supporters were burnt to death in Jerera in 2008?
Robmug, you have failed to understand three basic points here.
1) MDC commands the political high ground by having the law of its side. It should engage Mugabe in a fight in much it returns that position. MDC should fight to restore the rule of law by challenging the legality of those stopping the Police doing their duty.
2) Engaging Mugabe is a street brawl then MDC is just as lawless as Zanu PF
3) Zanu PF thugs have the backing of the Police, Army and other State machinery. This is one fight MDC will never win and it is madness to engage in a fight you can not win particularly when you could be fighting one you are granted to win!
You say MDC has “disciplined” Zanu PF thugs in Zaka! It is that reckless talk that only spurs Mugabe on. Has the country not seen enough bloodshed without you encouraging yet another wave of madness?
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