Those troublesome yet useless talks between Zimbabwe’s Movement for Democratic Change and the “opposition” ZANU-PF have been suspended once again.

While it was Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai who set the pace last year by pulling out of both the talks and the government, this time it is Robert Mugabe and his ZANU-PF who are pulling out of the talks, accusing Tsvangirai and the MDC of treachery.

We knew this would happen because the talks were not necessary in the first place.

They were forcing matters in that there really was nothing to discuss except to tell the loser, Mugabe, to vacate State House. But they were holding these talks to camouflage the continued presence in government of Mugabe and his ZANU-PF.

Yes, the talks were all about treachery, robbing the Zimbabwean people of their electoral choice.
Is anyone still keeping count of how many years these two parties have been embroiled in these talks over the same issues and, so far, produced almost nothing?

I have stopped caring already because, like I said right from the start, these so-called talks were not designed to produce any results but were designed by Mugabe to stall any forward movement and delay any positive developments that might have been instigated by the MDC.

There was never any desire on Mugabe’s part to see a peaceful resolution of the outstanding issues.

Over the years, the talks were abandoned several times as the MDC accused ZANU-PF of negotiating in bad faith.

Towards the end of last year, the MDC threatened to pull out of not only the talks but from the government as well. And indeed they did for a few weeks but embarrassingly came back on their own, less than a month after walking out.
The talks are meant to enable Mugabe to stall any kind of progress at will and when it suits him.

The talks have been halted numerous times, suspended and suffered from a curious recurring of the principal negotiators’ absences and who always gave frivolous excuses for their absence.

But ZANU-PF was ecstatic when they read comments made in Parliament by British Foreign Secretary David Milliband last Tuesday. It is the kind of talk ZANU-PF had waited for for a long time and this time the British gave ZANU-PF what they wanted.

“In respect of sanctions (against Mugabe and his officials), we have made it clear that they can be lifted only in a calibrated way, as progress is made,” said Milliband. Then he added the unfortunate part which was music to Mugabe’s old ears. ”… and, above all, to be guided by what the MDC says to us about the conditions under which it is working and leading the country.”
ZANU-PF wasted no time and pounced on the MDC.

Blackmail!

The inter-party negotiations were then dealt a serious blow when ZANU PF’s Politburo said there would be no more Global Political Agreement concessions until the sanctions had been lifted.
In short, the outstanding issues remain outstanding just like they have been since before the government of national unity was conceived.

And you thought they do not know how to stall!

ZANU PF Deputy Secretary for Information and Publicity, Ephraim Masawi, said that remarks by the British Foreign Secretary to the effect that, ‘London would remove sanctions at MDC’s request’ exposed MDC-Tsvangirai’s “treacherous role in the initiation and drafting of the illegal sanctions against Zimbabweans”.

ZANU-PF’s mouthpiece, The Herald, said that the party was a “tool of Western imperialism, and that the hypocrisy of the MDC-T’s denial of its role in the evil saga of the imposition of illegal sanctions now stands exposed for all to see”.

Milliband’s remarks were unfortunate to say the least. While the sanctions imposed on Mugabe somewhat “assisted” the MDC, the sanctions were a reaction to the abuse of Zimbabweans and the merciless raids on the fiscus.
Tsvangirai has no power over the lifting of sanctions yet he behaves as if he does.

In a reaction that will please the ZANU-PF corner, Tsvangirai on Friday called on the west “to ease sanctions and ZANU-PF”.

Speaking with reporters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tsvangirai defended the unity government and called for the West “to ease travel and financial restrictions targeting President Robert Mugabe and his inner circle”, saying progress in the country should be “rewarded”.

He is trying to accept responsibility for something he did not create and this convinces Mugabe that, indeed, Tsvangirai had something to do with the imposition of these sanctions.
But Tsvangirai is beginning to feel euphoric with the diplomatic passport he carries and his blunders will now become more pronounced as he tries to fit into being a statesman.

Last week he snubbed South African President Jacob Zuma who, like Botswana, has called for fresh elections in Zimbabwe. It was Tsvangirai who responded on behalf of the unity government and the choice of words and tone he used exposed a diplomatic amateur consumed by euphoria at being a Prime Minister.

Towards the end of last year, Tsvangirai accepted ZANU-PF’s demand to put on the agenda of their endless talks the issue of radio stations broadcasting from outside the borders of Zimbabwe.

ZANU-PF was pushing Tsvangirai to stop the “malicious broadcasts into Zimbabwe from pirate radio stations abroad”.
As if Tsvangirai had any control over these radio stations, he agreed to put the item of “pirate radio stations” on the agenda, once again creating the impression that those radio stations, manned by exiled Zimbabwean broadcasters, were within his sphere of influence.

It is a shame that he does not think deeper than what he should. When the west imposed sanctions on Mugabe and his cronies, Tsvangirai conveniently thought the sanctions had been imposed for his benefit, not the people’s benefit.

Likewise when exiled former Zimbabwean broadcasters set up radio stations outside Zimbabwe to supply information to the rank and file, Tsvangirai misguidedly believed the former Zimbabwean broadcasters were his people.
It is such a shame to be so unable to read simple situations like these.
It is a typical George W Bush mentality of “either you are with us or you are with them”.

Criticising Mugabe does not mean support for Tsvangirai and vice versa.
Needless to say, Tsvangirai has now become very comfortable with the situation he finds himself in and finds the courage to defend the unity government while his party members and officials remain locked up as new ones are arrested for no reason at all.
The fact is that Tsvangirai cannot call for the removal of sanctions because the reasons why those sanctions were imposed are still in effect.

The sanctions must remain until Mugabe and his goons start implementing serious human rights reforms. There is no evidence that this government of national unity is guided by any of the agreed points in the Global political Agreement.

Sanctions must not be lifted until there is rule of law. The escalating farm invasions are an indication of the absence of both human and property rights; and Tsvangirai is calling for the lifting of sanctions?

If western and European countries listen to Tsvangirai, they will in effect be reinforcing the ongoing repression and impunity in Zimbabwe.
If Tsvangirai now feels comfortable seeing his followers being beaten up, arrested and made to disappear, it might also be time for western and European countries to slap travel bans and sanctions on Tsvangirai and his people.

We want sanity in politicians as Tsvangirai slowly starts to forget.
Mugabe and Tsvangirai are partners in this government and if Tsvangirai believes he is Mugabe’s equal and defends him, fine, but then he too should be blamed for what is going on.
Sanctions must remain in place or even tightened until our liberties are restored unconditionally, whether Tsvangirai is there or not.