via RadioVop Zimbabwe – Zim Now A Basket Case – Tsvangirai April 1, 2014
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai says it is time to take the President Robert Mugabe-led government head-on through action which he did not specify.
Speaking at a rally in Zhombe on Saturday, the former prime minister in an uneasy coalition with Mugabe for more than four years said the country, whose economy is on a downward spiral, cannot be held captive by one man.
“We know that people are facing problems but Mugabe does not care,” said Tsvangirai as he pointed to company closures and subsequent employment losses.
“We will soon be mobilising Zimbabweans to take action. Zimbabweans cannot be held hostage by one man,” Tsvangirai said.
The MDC leader said, since Mugabe is the author of the current problems — that have worsened since last year’s general elections — he must be brought down to the negotiating table.
“We are now a basket case. Mugabe must be brought to the negotiating table, not by the MDC but rather by the masses of Zimbabwe,” he said.
Zimbabwe’s service delivery sectors are on a death-bed that could produce a crisis, with hospitals in the intensive care unit, water getting scarcer and thousands of children dropping out of school, and increasingly desperate citizens being caught up in the crossfire.
With social service delivery at an all-time low and unemployment rate sky-high, the situation, according to social commentators, may provoke a showdown between the State and it’s citizenry especially the restive civil servants, who are yet to get their promised salary increment.
Although Mugabe has on several occasions promised to review salaries of government workers — with civil servants expecting the rise this month — his government has failed to pay up and in the process stocking up anger among its servants.
Tsvangirai said present problems can only be solved through a holistic national dialogue.
“In the past 34 years, we have realised that liberation does not mean freedom. The current national crisis has fingerprints of Zanu PF and Mugabe,” said Tsvangirai.
The bloated, bankrupt State cannot sustain the social spending that kept the peace; the nation already faces water shortages, power outages, rising prostitution and rampant crime.
Analysts have warned that unless government implements reforms that will resuscitate the economy—the country is headed for a disaster.
Mugabe’s 26-member Cabinet has only hastened the country’s decline — for example, 10 women die daily while giving birth.
Official figures say 960 women die per 100 000 live births. Zimbabwe’s healthcare system was functional and could meet the needs of the country.
The situation is worsened by shocking reports of corruption with the public now demanding action from Mugabe.
The 90-year-old Mugabe is under increasing pressure to reshuffle his Cabinet which has dismally failed to deal with prevailing economic challenges.
Analysts say what is needed now is pressure on the government to change course and open negotiations with opposition leaders, something that has since been dismissed contemptuously by the ruling party.
And with the next scheduled elections four years away, Tsvangirai said there is need to reach a consensus beyond parochial party interests.
But the opposition leader, who is struggling to contain disunity in his own party appears to have little leverage and analysts say it is time for Zimbabwe’s neighbours to use their influence, before the chaos becomes uncontainable.
COMMENTS
Just talk from Tsvangirai, no balls to act. The last time we had mass action was under Gibson Sibanda though Tsvangirai got the credit being from the royal tribe.Show your balls and courage Tsvangieai or just shut up.
Thembani, where are your balls to go on the streets to demonstrate. I’m not defending Tswangirai but I’m saying it’s easy to shout from the periphery like you are doing and putting the blame on other people. Your name is not Thembani, come out clean. You don’t want noone to know who you are by writing the wrong name.
Peter Tosh? Ate u using your name? I have balls but can not trust Tsvangirai to lead anything.Just read todsy that MDC is pushing a motion for the establishment of the ministry of war veterans in honour of their contribution in killing hundreds of MDC supporters.I cant sacrifice my life for such a stupid party.
If peter tosh is not my name it doesn’t matter Thembani, I never claim to have balls than Tswangirai as you claim.
Zim has been a basket case for the last 10 years!!! Has this idiot Morgan only just realised it???
Morgan, yes Mugabe is to blame but MDC is also to blame for internationally decampaigning our country. You are in this together with ZANU. If you helped ZANU to screw the economy you must also share the blame. Your problem is you can’t tell the difference between ZANU and Zimbabwe. When you speak and denounce you hardly seperate the two. You don’t seem to speak as a Zimbabwean leader. You speak as an onlooker who has nothing to do with Zimbabwe. ZANU can go any time but Zimbabwe will alwasys be there. You also contributed in screwing our beautiful country
The majority of Zimbabwe’s neighbours support Mugabe. They don’t support Zimbabweans and hence they will not act.
But God will act if only we will seek Him.
Ehehehe, brother Morgan……..so we take to the streets and get our heads broken by ZRP, and maybe some of us get killed, but what are you going to do? If you want people to take risks, then firstly they need to know what the rewards for such risks are. Chokwadi!!!!
Hahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!! Tsvangirai has only just worked out that Zim is a basket case. No, I think it’s that his bank account is now a basket case after he was thrown off the gravy train. So now he is crying. Go hang.