The end of the beginning
By David Coltart
Nine years to the day since I stood with Morgan Tsvangirai, Gibson Sibanda, Tendai Biti, Welshman Ncube and many other patriots on the 11th September 1999 at Rufaro Stadium to launch the MDC a deal has been agreed in Harare tonight to bring to an end 28 years of brutal Zanu PF rule.
The bare bones of the deal are as follows. Constitutional amendment 19 will shortly be moved in Parliament. It will enable to the setting up of an inclusive Government which in turn will initiate an all inclusive process of Constitutional reform (which will include civil society). That process will last 18 months by which time a new democratic Constitution must be implemented, which will also include a time frame for new elections at some point to be conducted in terms of the new Constitution.
The inclusive Government will have Robert Mugabe as President with greatly reduced powers to those he enjoys today. There will be two, largely ceremonial, Vice Presidents from Zanu PF. Morgan Tsvangirai will be Prime Minister. Although he does not have absolute power he does have substantial power. For example he will advise Mugabe on all future appointments including Judges, Ambassadors and the like. There will be two Deputy Prime Ministers, one from MDC T and one from MDC M.
There will be a slightly cumbersome arrangement for conducting Government business which is the essence of the compromise agreed to following the impasse of the last 4 weeks. Cabinet will be chaired by Mugabe; Tsvangirai will be the vice Chair. Then there will be a Council of Ministers chaired by Tsvangirai which will supervise the work of Cabinet.
The Cabinet will largely reflect the votes cast for the different parties in the March election in which Zanu PF got the most votes (if not the most seats), followed by the MDC T and MDC M. In a 31 person Cabinet Zanu PF will have 15 seats, MDC T 13 and MDC M 3. There will be 8, 6 and 1 Deputy Ministers respectively. Accordingly if the two MDC factions work together, which they must in the national interest, they will enjoy a majority in Cabinet.
This is undoubtedly historic but we still have a long and treacherous road to travel. Even had we in the combined MDC obtained total control the challenges are immense. The grave humanitarian and economic crises are enough to test any Government. The new Cabinet that will have to address these challenges is composed of protagonists – virtually all of the Cabinet Ministers to be appointed by the MDC T and M have at some stage in the last 9 years been brutalized on the instructions of those they will now have to work with. Zimbabwe remains highly polarised and it will take statesmanship on all sides to make this work.
But work this must. Zimbabwe is a great country with a tremendous future and it can and will get through to a new dawn of freedom. The night is not over yet but as the great poet Arthur Hugh Clough wrote:
“ In front the sun climbs slow, how slowly,
But westward look , the land is bright”.
Winston Churchill said after the Battle of Egypt on the 10 November 1942 the following memorable words:
“Now is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
Those words are apt today. This has been a long hard struggle and there have been many casualties. It is not over – there are many battles which still lie ahead – but I am confident that this agreement, imperfect as it is, marks a significant step forward and will ultimately yield a new, democratic, vibrant jewel in Africa – our great Zimbabwe!
God bless you all and God bless Zimbabwe.
Senator David Coltart
Bulawayo
11th September 2008
September 12th, 2008 at 11:26 am
In deed it is a step forward, The responsibility now lies with you our leaderds, You should realise that, Resntment aganst your enermies will, and can never yield progress. Instead love for your people, and even for your enermies can solve our current problems. I believe “The best way to destroy your enemies is to make your friends” This does not mean that principles should be compromised, but it does mean that humility should be exercised. I am personaly happy with the deal, and I pray that God will be by your side and everyone, Wisdom should prevail. God Bless Zimbabwe.
September 12th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
I hope the deal does not end up being a recipe for gridlock in the face of the massive problems Zimbabwe faces. And I hope the balance of power sufficiently reflects what people voted for back in March. That Churchill quote incidentally is preceded by reference to Alexander & Monty destroying the enemy as a fighting force…
Also, BBC website is quoting one contributor from Harare that we’ll soon know how good Morgan’s friends in the West actually are i.e. will they open their cheque books, please, as is now needed?
All the same, I have my fingers crossed for you all. Well done David for your contribution and to all those in the MDC teams for their efforts and achievements.
September 12th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Well there is only one biblical fact about this issue senator-’No man is competent enough to rule another man’. we all just have to come to a compromise. At least after what seems to be an eternity the rays of light are upon our ‘used to be’ lovely country. And we are hoping these will be evenly distributed throughout the whole country, this never happened ever since independence.
God bless my motherland Zimbabwe
Proud
King Citizen
Praise Mhlanga
September 12th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
God Bless you to for keeping us informed.
My concern now is who will be responsible for the hundreds of orphaned children
My late nieces child was told not to return to school until the school fees are paid which is the norm u will cater and assist those children without parents?her little brother said he is tired of suffering.
September 12th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Hi David
I just want to thank you for taking the time to publish this letter. It is of some comfort as we face a difficult weekend of waiting after so many weeks of being kept in the dark with nothing but wild rumours.
This prayer popped up in my inbox and I immediately thought of Zimbabwe. It’s a good reminder of where our focus should be as Christians right now and the prayer for healing really resonated with me.
Blessed are you, O God,
who shaped creation at earth’s chaotic dawn,
who framed us in your image;
your goodness is revealed in mercy and compassion,
you touch us with tenderness,
and broken hearts are healed.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!
September 13th, 2008 at 6:49 am
Dear David and all MDC
Great news and all the very best for future (short and long term)
Regards
Alan
September 13th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
i wonder if Bob is agreeable to having Morgan (who would control the police) bring charges against those that have committed crimes ??
I guess the arrangement is probably the best one could hope for but i seriously worry about the judges - many if not most need replacing as they have shown their lack of abiding by the law. this is a serious problem second only to the financial crisis. infrastructural replacement and other issues coming after this.
Are all the judges to be fired and replaced by respectable people ??
September 15th, 2008 at 6:31 am
When Morgan permits all the press, especially the BBC, to start reporting the truth and inform the young Zimbabweans that they have been fed anti western garbage for so long then the country will not only start to return to the great potential it certainly has but foreign directy investment will ocurr. It will be interesting to see if the Zims are bluffed by the Chinese and sell their soul to the East on the promise of handouts. If all the people of Zimbabwe are allowed to recreate that entreprenurial spirit that existed when all doors were closed prior to independence then we will see a great nation emerge rather than yet another failed state of Africa. Time will tell.
September 15th, 2008 at 7:41 am
Dear David,
This is interesting. You gained credibility as a tough human rights lawyer, unearthing heinous human rights abuses and non-compromising on impunity so were others like Tony Reeler, Brian Kagoro, Tawanda Mutasahm, Matchab-Hove etc ( I have the report with a sobering intro by Elinor - who chided the deal by the way)
Having won ‘government’ the issues that brought you to the fore (the Gukurahundi massacres) must now be forgotten in one clean sweep (because you say so ?), the poor people whose suffering you rode on must now be explained away in the name of ‘progress’. Just like 79′. Who cares for the ‘rubble’ anyway, they are political cannon fodder, feed on them when its needed, discard them when the corridors of power beckon.
And oh, as a democrat, how do you explain that the leadership of your party (perhaps the Deputy Prime Minisership as well) will be given to a leader who was rejected at the constituency level?
How do you sleep at night?
T.H
September 15th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
I hope someone of your calibre and understanding will head the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare catering for especially for orphans
September 16th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Dear Dave and all the MDC
“Courage, it would seem, is nothing less than the power to overcome danger, misfortune, fear, injustice, while continuing to affirm inwardly that life with all its sorrows is good; that everything is meaningful even if in a sense beyond our understanding; and that there is always tomorrow.”
Dorothy Thompson
Good luck and may tomorrow shine brightly.
September 16th, 2008 at 10:45 am
It is in deed a step in the right direction, but lets reflect on what the people have been subjected to, for the past 28 years. To rebuild a better Zimbabwe we as a nation require impartiality which must be reflected by how the leadership conducts its business, which is more than just a challenge. If they could at least respect and implement civil liberty the right to the correct and relevant information, hopefully they will go down that route. This is the initial challenge for the new leadership if they can strive towards this, education, health and sanitation requirements will just fall in place and we will use that achievement as a bench mark on how good the leadership is. Well all said and done we hope for the best and may wisdom and the glory of GOD guide, the leaders in their conduct of day by day business for the best and future Zimbabwe.