AU envoy pulls out as ZANU PF rules out dialogue with MDC

By Violet Gonda
18 August 2005

It was reported Thursday that the African Union appointed envoy Joaquim Chisanno would not be going forward with his mission of bringing together the 2 major political parties to the negotiating table. Chissano said Zimbabwe officials maintain that it’s an internal problem that would be handled through the democratic institutions in Zimbabwe.

This effectively means the AU initiative, spearheaded by Nigeria President Olusegun Obasanjo, seeking to bring Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai to the negotiating table, has hit a serious snag

Zimbabwean political activist Grace Kwinjeh said the AU envoy’s pullout shows that the region has failed to pressure Mugabe and the only solution left is for all civic groups and political parties to unite and strategise. Kwinjeh said the lack of resolve from the region shows that only Zimbabweans can fight their own battle.

She said it’s high time that people realized that despots do not negotiate themselves out of power. “The challenge is to revisit the whole question of dialogue and negotiations and understand that Mugabe will not negotiate. There is a need for Zimbabweans to come up with a coherent strategic plan to fight the regime.”

Critics say the region and South Africa in particular will never realize that the people are suffering in Zimbabwe as a result of Mugabe’s misrule.
South Africa deputy foreign minister Aziz Pahad was reported Thursday saying his country was trying to avoid Zimbabwe becoming a "failed state". He said South Africa wanted Zimbabwe to change its economic policies, in return for a loan, which is being negotiated.
Kwinjeh said this is a perfect example that the region is giving Zimbabwe the wrong prescription for the wrong ailment. She said the issue at the centre of Zimbabwe’s problem is a crisis of governance and unless this is dealt with, the economic issues will not be dealt with. “South Africa has found an escape route by talking about economic recovery but not wanting to focus on the broader political issues.” She added that Zimbabwean civic groups and political parties need to unite and follow their own political agenda because the region has shown that it will not come to our rescue.