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Government and civil society in Zimbabwe's economic recovery
Richard Kamidza
March 26, 2009

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http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/55146

The two formations of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and the Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (Zanu PF) have finally endorsed the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit-s decision to form the government of national unity (GNU). All disputed issues, such as the appointment of a 'Joint-Monitoring Implementation Committee' comprising members of all the parties, the distribution of provincial governors, the appointments of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor and the attorney general, and the National Security Bill - which ensures the joint monitoring of the country-s security apparatus - have been resolved before the passage of the constitutional amendment number 19 in parliament, thereby paving the way for the formation of an inclusive government. But critics are still sceptical about Zanu PF's sincerity with regard to implementing an inclusive government given its past open violation of the spirit of both the memorandum of understanding (MOU) and the global political agreement (GPA) with impunity.

Already, South Africa-s President Kgalema Montlanthe, as chair of the SADC, appraised the African Union (AU) summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as an 'African solution to the African problem', ending the political stalemate since the signing of the GPA on 15 September 2008. Indeed, this stalemate had not only dented regional leaders- moral and democratic conscience in defence of voiceless Zimbabweans, but also the facilitator-s résumé as an honest peace broker.

So far, the SADC, led by South Africa, has called for an immediate lifting of 'smart sanctions' targeted at Zanu PF officials and their associates. The AU has also adopted a resolution calling for the withdrawal of sanctions against anti-democratic forces and violators of human-rights to help ease the humanitarian crisis. In response, Western countries, particularly the USA, Europe and Australia, uphold the punitive measures until 'there is clear and practical evidence of sharing of power in Zimbabwe as well as serious commitment to resolve the country-s numerous social, economic and policy challenges.'

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