The ‘unity’ government in Zimbabwe is not working - no matter what Morgan Tsvangirai or Mugabe says. The MDC and ZANU PF hate each other with such vehemence that the needs and wants of the people that they are elected to represent have fall off the priority listing.

The MDC are trying to keep their heads above water - inexperienced though they are in the art of governance - whilst ZANU PF try and create whatever waves they can to swamp any good which might be ventured by their unwanted partners in administration.

Mugabe’s ZANU PF will use whatever it can to upset the apple cart, which itself, is in dire need of repair and/or replacement.

Many observers have indicated that not only is the coalition not working, but that very little has changed - Mugabe still rules with a fist of steel and laws and regulation obviously do not apply to their members or supporters, whilst the MDC members and supporters find themselves the target of many a ZANU PF missile as they attempt to dislodge the former opposition party from their midst.

Just about the only and first thing we have seen has been Mugabe refusal to reverse unilateral decisions or at least play fair with the MDC.

The governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has admitted to helping himself to foreign currency from accounts without authorisation, and Mugabe says that he is ‘not a thief’.

Only in Zimbabwe…

Mugabe refuses to remove the Attorney General from his appointment, and also to the swearing in of the Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Roy Bennett. It has been suggested that this will only happen if Tsvangirai returns from his overseas junket having secured money from foreign donors.

As things stand right now, Tsvangirai has been unsuccessful - unless you count the promise of US$73 million from the United States - but this money will be through aid agencies and NGOs, not through Mugabe’s hands. Mugabe will not count this as successfully obtaining monetary assistance.

There is a large number of court cases pending against various members of the MDC - the most serious being treason charges against Finance Minister, Tendai Biti, whilst Roy Bennett is facing banditry charges.

We do not hear much about these charges and court proceedings are slow and arduous and sometimes depend on the ability of the people concerned to shepherd their charges in line with ZANU PF dictates.

Other MDC members face further charges and ZANU PF is happy to drag the persons concerned to court and remand them ad infinitum. Many people have been held in remand custody for months at a time.

The land grab continues with farmers being thrown off their land every week - the fruits of their labour being stolen at will, and their land and houses being decimated in the process.

And yet the country is unable to feed itself as a direct result of the land appropriation exercise.

Not that it worries Mugabe who has a appetite for champagne and caviar, while the population have to make do without water or electricity, money or employment, education or health care - the list goes on and on.

There just is not the room for two political parties at the helm of Zimbabwe, and so infighting has become the norm - both parties now losing sight of their original objectives.

When you are up to your ass in crocodiles, it is difficult to remember that the original intention was to drain the swamp…

Robb WJ Ellis
The Bearded Man