When Is Enough?
Uncle Mugabe says never. That wily old hyena has no end of conniving tricks up his bloody sleeve. He and he alone is Zimbabwe. Power-sharing, as inadequate to the task at hand as it is, is an unrecognized concept that he scorns but pantomimes for the benefit of a bored world audience still clamouring for justice, knowing this is what they must do.The prolongation of the nation's agony causes minds to wander, there are, after all, so many dire situations in so many African states.
In the immediate aftermath of the crash word spread rapidly and a MDC supporter made his way to the scene, closely examining the vehicle in which Morgan Tsvangirai and his wife Susan were travelling, using a video camera judiciously. He was in telephone contact throughout with another key MDC supporter, explaining to him what he found.
Not for long, however; police confiscated the video camera, arrested the man, and spirited him away to prison.
Key members of the Movement for Democratic Change are cautious but they believe, with good reason - since it is such a common manner in which opponents of the Mugabe regime are disposed of - that this cannot have been a mere accident.
They question the motorcade travelling with the president. Mr. Tsvangirai, however, did not trust the official protection agents, and he had his own. His motorcade was a small one; three MDC security vehicles alongside one of Mugabe's agents.
The truck driver who had 'fallen asleep' at the wheel had no difficulty identifying the president's Toyota Land Cruiser, and aimed directly for it. Mr. Tsvangirai himself, while in hospital immediately after the crash claimed as much.
This is, needless to say an extremely 'sensitive' issue. One with which Robert Mugabe will most certainly take sensitive issue. The grim reality that he has once again been unable to kill his political rival will not sit well with him. But there are other, more subtle measures that can be taken to exact maximum torment on a steely foe.
Solicitously visiting him in hospital, his hale and blooming wife in tow (the one who adores the exhilaration of shopping in Paris haute couture establishments while her people succumb to privation, starvation and disease), was certain to cause additional mute grief to Morgan Tsvangirai at the horribly sudden loss of his wife and mother of his children.
It's a steep price to pay for his convictions, his love of country. One that has been imposed in the past by Robert Mugabe's vicious goons on other ranking supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change.
Morgan Tsvangirai so recently insistent that his selection as deputy minister-designate, Roy Bennett, be released from prison to take up his post, will know now that the magistrate who freed Mr. Bennett is now himself under arrest.
Morgan Tsvangirai, who spoke so recently about the need for Zimbabwe to begin urgent reforms to come to grips with its impossible inflation rate, lack of commodities, fractured manufacturing and commercial sector, and immense unemployment figures, now has the consolation of knowing that his nemesis has once again unerringly collapsed those hopes just before the International Monetary Fund and World Bank arrive to review the country's economic plight.
How convenient it was for Mugabe that Morgan Tsvangirai, that irritating menace in his life, travelled on a notoriously dangerous single-lane road outside Harare. How delightful it must have seemed to him to be given the opportunity to deliver his heartfelt regrets at the "tragedy that has fallen on our nation at a time of great hope for our country".
The nation, he added, prayed for the prime minister's swift recovery.
Morgan Tsvangarai has a reputation for recovering swiftly from attempts on his life. He's been able to practise it from time to time, defining and perfecting it to a fine art. It is President Robert Mugabe's fervent hope that Mr. Tsvangirai will prove, eventually, not to be able to outlive the many attempts that Mr. Mugabe still has in store for him.
Ironically, the driver of the truck who had so unfortunately and without prior intent, targeted the prime minister's vehicle, was a locally-hired driver by American humanitarian interests, to transport AIDS drugs that had been donated to the country by the United States government.
Labels: Political Realities, Terrorism, World News
posted by Pieface @ Saturday, March 07, 2009
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