There is nothing to indicate that the situation in Zimbabwe will be treated any differently by those concerned, both in and outside Zimbabwe.
As we start another year of expectations, prospects of more violence and the continued abuse of human rights are clearly on the horizon and rising.
There does not seem to be any seriousness on the part of politicians to find a final and lasting solution to our long-drawn out quagmire.
Even Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has ignored his party’s failure to become a real governing party but trudges on as if elections under all these dubious circumstances will bring peace to Zimbabwe.
Tsvangirai claims he will win the next elections by a wide margin as if that in itself is a solution. But if he does so win, what next? He says he is ready to rule and so is his party. I am no longer amused by his leadership style because, quite frankly, while the MDC as a party is a viable project, Tsvangirai as a president does not seem to excite me anymore.
He has allowed party issues and personal matters to cloud up his judgement while putting personal matters ahead of national interest.
His party now campaigns for the removal of targeted sanctions against some ZANU-PF individuals, with Tendai Biti allowing himself to be used to ask foreign governments to remove the sanctions while the very reasons those sanctions were slapped on those individuals still exist.
I salute the Canadian government for its stance to maintain sanctions against ZANU-PF malcontents. Tsvangirai’s party no longer cares about the need for real political reform in our country, something the very same people have always been clamouring for since they formed their party.
There is urgent need for a new constitution to be put in place, let alone holding a referendum over it before its installation.
Violence and human rights violations need urgent attention as both are on the increase, particularly against Tsvangirai’s supporters.
But the MDC does not seem to care about all these issues like they used to do because now they are part of the unsavoury unity government.
Tsvangirai said he is going to enlarge the cake if he gets elected. I am surprised he has been eating cakes all this time and now that he needs our votes, he wants to throw a few crumbs at us.
We hear that his party launched its economic blueprint code-named Juice (Jobs, Upliftment, Investment, Capital and the Environment) which they say is “designed to correct Zimbabwe’s weak economic structure characterised by high levels of poverty, social underdevelopment, decayed infrastructure and a crippling debt overhang”.
All politicians say such things but thank you!
The MDC sent Biti to canvass for foreign investment whilst ZANU-PF fat cats continue to sabotage commerce and industry through opaque indigenisation policies.
While the likes of Tendai Biti have shown commendable effort and foresight in the execution of their duties, the same cannot be said about others in his party, including Tsvangirai himself.
Our problem though is just what is the alternative?
Be that as it may, we are starting another miserable year with the same tired failed politicians on whom we are forced, once again, to put our trust in.
We are dealing with the same South Africans who have lied to the world about us over the years, giving out tough press statements against Mugabe while empowering him by deliberately ignoring particular issues of immediate concern.
We are not anyone’s priority and South Africa has shown us that.
Jacob Zuma should not even be president of South Africa yet through the presidency, South Africa yields a lot of sway in the Southern African Development Community where it has proved beyond doubt that, although with Africa’s largest economy, South Africa cannot be Africa’s leader.
On top of that, running the comatose African Union is another South African, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, a former bed mate of the South African president.
And yet another South African, Navi Pillay, is the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights at a time when human rights abuses have increasingly become common place in Zimbabwe and beyond.
I feel sad about what African leaders continue to do to a continent that has been so good to all of them.
Zimbabwe is doing its part in the promotion of bad governance; it is a sad example of idiocy, corruption, nepotism and all ills that move nations backwards instead of forward.
Tsvangirai, just like Mugabe, seems to be afflicted by wrong priorities.
Our nation cannot be expected to survive and thrive on rhetoric.
It is our hope that as we start the New Year, our politicians rededicate themselves to serving the nation in an honest manner.
