Towards a people-centred solution

Intense debate on the pros and cons of a government of national unity cum- transitional arrangement cum- negotiated settlement between Zanu PF and the MDC has now taken centre stage in Zimbabwe’s socio-economic and political discourse in the aftermath of the 27 June 2008 presidential election runoff.

The intensity of the informal and formal debates clearly indicates the citizens’ yearning for a lasting solution to the political impasse and offers the greatest opportunity ever for the two political parties to work towards a permanent resolution of the Zimbabwean crisis. The fact that the two main political players, President Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai, have hitherto been issuing positive vibes towards that eventuality is in itself a very encouraging first step towards conflict resolution.

Acknowledgement on the need for dialogue is borne out of realisation that the two political parties hold the key to unlocking the gridlock. It is therefore the responsibility of the Zimbabwean citizens, political players, mediators and other key stakeholders to take note of the pronouncements by the critical political players that virtually hold our destiny in their hands.  Those that will be tasked with mediating the process should therefore take very serious note of the willingness of the two parties to engage for purposes of steering the process forward.

The negotiations have already begun and what we are witnessing is the flexing of muscles with the two major political players boxing in their corners as they carve and cement positions of strength and set the parameters for engagement by taunting the other to come forward. Given the knife-edge complexity and delicacy of the issues at hand it is expected that none of the two major players will be willing to take the first step forward in these infant stages of the process. They will for a while continue to shadow-box and taunt the other. 

From a broad perspective though, the stage has otherwise been set and what is required now is for those with the necessary influence, integrity and neutrality, to impress upon the two camps to accept that they cannot simply wish the other away and slowly nudge them towards formalising the processes for the setting of the parameters and agenda for the talks.

Pre-conditions in the form of demands  that the talks or negotiations should centre on a transitional government or government of national unity and  this-and-that  cannot and will not necessarily be resolved in the public domain notwithstanding the opportunistic tendencies of spoilers who stand to benefit from the status quo ante. The process  should now be moved behind closed doors as no amount of outside pressure will yield the desired results unless, us as Zimbabweans, who feel the pinch of our own situation and plight are prepared to seize this opportunity and dialogue ourselves out of this political quagmire. 

The blueprints or working documents already exist and what is required is to fine-tune them by way of identifying priority areas which should be preceded by a firm and unequivocal resolve to end all forms of political violence. Focus should also be on formulation of policies to address the economic malaise as a matter of exigency as well as open the democratic space through fundamental but people-driven constitutional reforms.

Civil society organisations already have one such working document, The Zimbabwe Peoples Charter, which can be used as a reference document in setting the framework for the envisaged dialogue. The Charter states among other fundamentals the need to guarantee rights to freedom of expression, information, assembly and association. It further stresses that  Zimbabwean citizens should be able to in live in a society of diverse views, honesty, integrity and common concern for the welfare of all in  a safe and secure environment free of human rights violations.

At the end of it all, the Charter declares that: “Zimbabweans should be able to boldly declare that never again shall we let lives be lost, maimed, tortured or traumatised by dehumanising experiences of political intolerance, violence and lack of democratic governance.”

The envisaged reforms, should among other issues, also take into serious cognisance the need for the separation and retention of the autonomy of the three arms of the state to foster respect for rule of law; media freedom and freedom of expression through a safeguard constitutional provision notwithstanding the need for the establishment of independent regulatory bodies to foster democracy, transparency and accountability.

This is the time for the peace of the brave as the late Palestine Liberation Organisation leader Yasser Arafat noted in his address to the Palestine Legislative Council on 15 May 2002. “We have extended and we are still extending our hand to just peace, the peace of the brave, the peace that will realise security and justice for the Palestinians and the Israelis, as well as the Arab region, the Middle East and the whole world. It is the peace for this land, the land that is sacred to all. Peace was and will continue to be our strategic choice. We will not give up the choice of peace between us and the Israelis. In peace there is a common interest for both the Palestinians and Israeli peoples.” For Zimbabwe, the envisaged dialogue should aim at conscientiously identifying and addressing the common interests of the citizens for peace and prosperity.

The media is therefore vested with its most Herculean task ever in shaping the national collective to buy into that process. This entails the media to assist in lowering the political temperature by shunning inflammatory and retrogressive hate language. The media landscape should be opened to allow entry of private players in both the print and electronic media while the existing private and public media, more so the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, should in the same vein open its space to diverse views and opinions to enable the generation of ideas that will input into the talks thus allowing for citizen participation and ownership of the process.