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(TALKZIMBABWE) Tsvangirai discrediting himself by shifting goal posts

Tsvangirai discrediting himself by shifting goal posts
Tendai Midzi - Opinion
Wed, 02 Sep 2009 03:34:00 +0000

DEAR EDITOR - Let me take this opportunity to voice my disgruntlement and frustration at the mixed statements that come out of both Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

The PM has continued to frustrate the people of Zimbabwe by shifting positions each time he takes to the podium. He is failing to define what ideological position, if any, he occupies in the inclusive Government.

Yesterday (Tuesday) PM Tsvangirai addressed a Press Conference at his Munhumutapa Boardroom (Samora Machel Avenue, Harare).

At the press conference, he said he was frustrated by the pace of the implementation of the Global Political Agreement (GPA), voicing concern at the appointments of Dr Gideon Gono and Johannes Tomana, as central bank governor and attorney general respectively.

He said President Mugabe had made these appointments unilaterally; although the appointments were in effect made before Sept 11, 2008 - the date of the signing of the GPA.

The PM also complained that key MDC-T members have yet to be sworn in as provincial governors and cabinet officials.

PM Tsvangirai accused President Mugabe's supporters of using state media to advocate only for the interests of their party.

"This distortion of the political reality by the state media presents a real and credible threat to the inclusive government and its ability to impact positively on the lives of all Zimbabweans," he said.

Anyone who has been reading Zimbabwean news in the past week will testify that the PM is failing to find solid ground to stand on in this inclusive Government. His position on the GPA and the progress it has made still remains very fluid.

Only last week, speaking at the end of the Second Ministerial Retreat in Nyanga, he defended the inclusive Government saying the implementation of the GPA cannot be an overnight affair and Zimbabweans needed to exercise patience and afford principals to the GPA time to realise the goals set.

The PM said the inclusive Government was not as fragile as reported in some sections of online and international media and said "there is no way it will collapse at any point."

"I want to honestly assure you (the nation) that this Government is not fragile; neither has it at any point or at any stage showed that it will collapse.

"I think the expressions of frustration that are sometimes demonstrated across the political divide show the robustness of decision-making in the (inclusive) Government," he said.

PM Tsvangirai said the fact that Government had two successful retreats coming up with "a cohesive Government work programme" showed the parties to the inclusive Government’s commitment to develop the country.

"There is no problem that is insurmountable beyond our capacity to resolve. What we are doing as this inclusive Government is to leave something for our children and the future generations," he added.

A newsletter published by the PM on 26 August 2009 did not mention the issue of Dr Gono and AG Tomana. In a lead article entitled, "PM sets Government priorities", none of the issues highlighted at the recent press conference were mentioned.

In the newsletter, the PM in fact said that "There were positive steps towards creating a more pluralistic media environment."

He did not express disgruntlement with the pace of implementation of the GPA in his newsletter, so what could have changed in one week? Perhaps the PM is beginning to fold under the pressure from so-called "hard-liners" in his party: MDC-T secretary general Tendai Biti and his militant team.

The newsletter identified various "outstanding issues" but nowhere did it the mention the issues highlighted at the press conference.

Read the newsletter: "However, Prime Minister Tsvangirai identified aspects where inadequate progress had been made across a range of ministries. Amongst areas of most concern were the liquidity situation that constrained economic growth and the fact that most credit lines pledged were yet to be realised largely owing to the perceived slow progress in the implementation of the GPA.

"Doctors, nurses, teachers and other professionals were still among the most under-paid civil servants in the region, raising the potential of industrial action and further brain-drain while further measures were needed to improve media diversity."

One wonders why PM Tsvangirai has made a turnaround this time to start talking about issues that he has been mum on for some time now.

We urge the PM to be forthright in his dealings with the people of Zimbabwe and honest to himself about his role in this inclusive Government. Shifting goal posts will only serve to discredit him and his party.

Surely, he has an option to remain in the inclusive Government and battle the contentious issues or ship out. Shifting goal posts only serves to discredit the PM.

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* Tendai Midzi works as a lecturer in economics at the London Metropolitan University.

Labels: MORGAN TSVANGIRAI

posted by MrK @ 5:04 AM