MDC powerless to deal with ZANU PF hardliners

By Tichaona Sibanda
14 May 2009

The MDC is fully aware that some of the top civil servants and cabinet ministers from ZANU PF are working against the inclusive government, but are powerless to deal with them.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on Wednesday said that hard-liners left over from the old regime were endangering the country's future. The MDC leader blamed what he termed ‘residual elements from the old government’ for violating the rule of law and the agreement that created the inclusive government.
The service chiefs have lived up to their public vow, made just before last year’s harmonized elections that they were not going to salute Tsvangirai. One of the other chief culprits working against the unity government is the attorney-general, Johannes Tomana.

The powerful service chiefs, who include Defence Forces Commander General Constantine Chiwenga, Army Commander Lieutenant General Phillip Sibanda, Prisons Commissioner Paradzai Zimondi, Police Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri, and Air Marshall Perence Shiri, are seen as a major stumbling block towards full implementation of the terms set by the unity agreement.

Solomon Chikohwero, the militant chairman of the MDC Veterans Activists Association, told us on Thursday that in many discussions between the MDC leadership the names of Mariyawanda Nzuwa, Misheck Sibanda, George Charamba and Gideon Gono always crop up, as being part of the group leading the resistance. This group is also heavily protected by Robert Mugabe.

Nzuwa is the chairman of the Public Service Commission and reports directly to Mugabe. Sibanda is Mugabe’s chief secretary, while Charamba is his spokesman. Gono is the governor of the central bank and his former personal banker. All have direct access to Mugabe at short notice.

‘Tsvangirai cannot come out in the open and disclose their names because he is constrained from doing because of his job as Prime Minister. Things are still delicate, so he will not want to rock the boat so soon after the formation of the inclusive government,’ Chikohwero said.

‘But as MDC activists we will do so on his behalf and say these are the people who are giving him nightmares in the government. All those people get their power from the service chiefs to act with impunity. They know they have the backing of the military, because if they were soldiers they would also not be saluting Tsvangirai,’ Chikohwero said.

‘They are die hard Mugabe loyalists who are more powerful than ministers and their deputies, except a few like (Emmerson) Mnangagwa and (Patrick) Chinamasa. Nzuwa is an institution in the civil service because of his power to recommend the hiring and firing of all civil servants, from permanent secretaries coming down,’ he added.

A source in Harare told us this is the same group that drew up the list of permanent secretaries, appointed by Mugabe in February. The group is reportedly resisting the sharing of ambassadors, claiming that their appointments were not political but were done on a professional basis through the Public Service Commission.

Prime Minister Tsvangirai, and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, however rejected the unilateral appointment of ministerial Permanent Secretaries by Mugabe. The two said the appointments were 'in contravention of both the Global Political Agreement and the Constitution of Zimbabwe, which is very clear with regard to senior government appointments.'

Under the GPA only the leadership of the President, his two deputies and the Prime Minister with his two deputies, will consult and agree on such appointments. Tsvangirai said Mugabe's announcement therefore had no force in law as they were done by Sibanda. A new list of permanent secretaries, comprising names from the MDC, is expected to be announced soon.

The principals are expected to issue a statement in Harare on Friday on the progress of their talks to conclude remaining issues surrounding the GPA.

Although Zimbabweans remain hopeful that finally the principals have reached agreement on these issues, real concern remains that Mugabe has no intention of letting go of the reins of power. It is unlikely that tomorrows announcement will finally put to rest all contentious issues.