ZIMBABWE - LETTER FROM THE DIASPORA !

14th November 2008.

Dear Friends,


Where to now? That is the question we are all asking ourselves since the shameful SADC decision to support the status quo in Zimbabwe. This was the much vaunted 'African solution to African problems'.

I ended last week's Letter with the words, “Dare we hope that this time common sense, decency and human compassion will prevail?” and now we know the answer. Hope deferred, it seems. We were told that the fifteen members – though apparently there were only six of them present - of SADC voted in favour of a resolution instructing the opposing parties to go home and form a government of national unity. That, said SADC Secretary Thomaz Salamao was the decision of SADC and must be respected. As for the disputed Ministry of Home Affairs, well the two sides must share that Ministry between them. How that would work, Salamao could not say; indeed he was forced to admit that not one of the SADC countries had such an arrangement in their own country but that was the solution proposed for Zimbabwe. That was the 'African solution' to the human tragedy that has engulfed our country and is spilling over the borders with refugees flooding into the surrounding countries of these very states whose leaders are content to ignore the human suffering of thousands of African people. Once again SADC has demonstrated its total failure to recognise the democratic will of the people as clearly stated in the March elections which Morgan Tsvangirai and the MDC won. Instead, SADC chose to placate Mugabe, recognised him as president and even allowed him to sit in on their deliberations. The MDC delegates obeyed the ruling to leave the room but Mugabe categorically refused and a gutless Chairman, none other than the South African President Motlanthe, apparently lacked the moral authority to compel the old man to leave. Thus Mugabe was present in the chamber when the ruling was made, daring the SADC members to say one word against him, no doubt.

Not only have SADC recognised an illegitimate president, they have, by their failure to act, become complicit in the criminal activity of a government in 'borrowing' donated funds intended to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The money was diverted says Gideon Gono for 'other national priorities' It's not hard to see what those 'priorities' were as the Mugabe regime dishes out bribes to judges and chiefs to continue their craven support for a morally and financially bankrupt government. SADC turns a blind eye to all this as they do to the violence inflicted on the opposition. SADC surely know it is happening but continue on the same path of blind support for a man who has destroyed his country and allows men women and children to die rather than give up on iota of his power. Only God can remove him says Mugabe but in the meantime he will kill, beat, starve and imprison anyone who dares to oppose him.

MDC meets today to discuss the way forward following this slap in the face from SADC. I imagine it will be a very stormy meeting. Certainly local pundits have been vocal with their advice but then words are cheap. Opinions range from : Let Mugabe get on with it, leave him to hang himself; Pull out of the Agreement entirely; Fresh elections are the only answer; Go to the AU and failing that the UN for a solution. No doubt all those views and many others will be reflected at today's meeting. Zimbabweans are very good at talking but what is needed now is Action. Looking in from the outside what I see is the lack of unity even among the democratic forces. Months ago all the civic organizations vowed they would work together to overthrow the regime. When one group demonstrated they said they would all be there to support their brothers and sisters. It has not happened; instead the police pick off the brave demonstrators – be they WOZA or NCA or ZCTU - like so many flies and toss them in gaol to rot in the fetid prisons that daily spew out their dead. It is only by acting together that the civic movements and the MDC will demonstrate to SADC, the AU and the UN that they are one united people. Without that unity of purpose, the people will remain rudderless, like a ship without a captain sailing on an ocean of endless suffering. Only through solidarity of purpose and unity in action will Zimbabweans free themselves from the dictator's cruel tyranny. Then hope will be restored. We can do it…Yes we can!

Yours in the (continuing) struggle PH