Wina warns Mugabe, Tsvangirai against ‘playing in the hands of the West’

Wina warns Mugabe, Tsvangirai against ‘playing in the hands of the West’
Written by Ernest Chanda and Gillian Namungala
Sunday, December 07, 2008 6:44:04 PM

VETERAN politician Sikota Wina has warned Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai against playing in the hands of the West by delaying the conclusion of the power-sharing deal. And University Teaching Hospital (UTH) urologist Dr Francis Manda said time for finger pointing on the Zimbabwe crisis is gone.

In an interview, Wina said President Mugabe and Tsvangirai should find a way to reach an agreement to ensure that they work towards resolving the problems in Zimbabwe.

"President Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai should not play in the hands of the Western press which enjoys exaggerations. They should sit down and talk because there is still a way in which they can reach an agreement," Wina said.

He said it was important for the ZANU-PF and the MDC to seal a permanent deal that would make Africa proud.

"We do not want a caricature of the Joshua Nkomo arrangement which was an embarrassment to Africa. I do not see a problem in the two sides sharing ministries according to their order of seniority, and I don't see a problem in the Movement for Democratic Change getting the Ministry of Home Affairs," Wina said. "If they want, they can even pair similar ministries like commerce and finance, then agriculture can be paired with the Ministry of Tourism.

Wina also expressed concern over the recent differences between former South African president Thabo Mbeki and Tsvangirai.

"Both Mbeki and Tsvangirai are wrong in attacking each other instead of working towards building democracy in the SADC region. Such unnecessary attacks on each other will give room for more ridicule from those who want Africa to fail," he said.

Recently, Mbeki reminded Tsvangirai that the MDC appeared to have more respect for the West and yet they did not share a border with Zimbabwe.

Mbeki told Tsvangirai to respect leaders in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) because they were affected by the spill over effects of the Zimbabwe crisis.

This was after MDC secretary general Tendai Biti wrote to Mbeki, describing the recent decision by SADC that the political parties co-manage the Ministry of Home Affairs as a nullity.

Wina, who also applauded President Mugabe as his comrade in arms since the 1960s, said there was a lot of hope for a meaningful power-sharing deal in Zimbabwe.

"The destiny of a country is not static, and what is going on in Zimbabwe teaches us that a lot needs to be done to raise the image of Africa in the eyes of the outside world. Currently, Africa is a big joke to the Western world," Wina said. "Both sides are aware of the need to seal the power-sharing deal quickly and diffuse the tension in Zimbabwe."

And commenting on the cholera situation in Zimbabwe during the Radio Phoenix' Manzi Therapy programme, Dr Manda said this was time to help Zimbabwe save lives from cholera as opposed to pointing fingers at what ZANU-PF had not done.

"Cholera has been declared a national disaster in Zimbabwe and Zambia should not close doors to that country. I know that diplomatically they have not approached us but we can't wait for them to approach to assist them, no," Dr Manda said. "We should not sit and wait until we are approached. You can't be watching when your neighbour's house is on fire to save them."

Dr Manda said this was time for Zambia to show leadership and share the little resources it had with Zimbabwe.

"In our spirit of love and unity we should stand up as a country to save lives in Zimbabwe by mobilizing resources and medical staff to assist that country," Dr Manda said.

He appealed to the Ministry of Health and various stakeholders in the country to assist people in Zimbabwe through donations to the Office of the Vice-President.

"I know Zambia is a Christian nation but prayer alone is not enough to save the many lives being lost in Zimbabwe. Zambia has been leading in Africa so let's stand up and show our leadership by helping that country," said Dr Manda.

Over 500 people have died of cholera and many more are still being treated in various parts of Zimbabwe following a breakdown of social services in that country. The unity agreement that was signed on September 15 is yet to be operational, as political parties have failed to agree on the sharing of key ministries. President Mugabe has asked the MDC to indicate whether they are still interested in the inclusive government or not. President Mugabe warned of an early election if the establishment of a unity government with MDC flopped.