This Week on African Perspective

This Tuesday 25 March we discuss the upcoming elections in Zimbabwe and to discuss with us the issue is the Zimbabwean Ambassador to Canada Florence Z. Chideya. Among the issues to be discussed is whether Zimbabwe has the capacity to hold the four elections at once namely the presidential, parliamentary, senatorial and councilors; why did the government of Zimbabwe not invite Western countries; and does she think that these elections would be seen as free and fair?

Listen live on 105.5 FM in Toronto or online on http://www.chry.fm/ worldwide as we discuss this issue. To contribute, call our studio number on +1 416 736 5656 or write to africanperspective@chry.fm

About African Perspective
African Perspective is a current affairs programme that reports and analyses news and events from an African viewpoint. It broadcasts on Tuesdays at 10am-11am Eastern Time/2pm-3pm Greenwich Mean Time on CHRY 105.5 FM in Toronto and http://www.chry.fm/ on the Internet worldwide. The programme provides Africans with a platform to articulate their experiences, challenges and celebrate their achievements to both the Canadian public and policy makers.

Presenter: Kuthula Matshazi

Tsvangirai's interview on his policies

Kuthula Matshazi

These comments are based on Zimbabwe's main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai's interview with an UK based radio station that is run by Zimbabweans on his policies . Several issues arise which are not clearly explained.

Before I make comments on issues that Tsvangirai addressed, I must bring to attention that the interviewer - and indeed all other journalists - have never asked Tsvangirai whether he supports economic sanctions. Sure, he is likely to deny that there are economic sanctions for fear of self incrimination, but journalists should ask him whether he supports, in principle, the use of economic sanctions as a disciplinary regime. We want to know his general stance, if he cannot commit himself to the specific economic sanctions that he called for in Zimbabwe. Either way, his answer will tell us a lot.

Now to the issues that he discussed in his interview:

Where will the government of Tsvangirai get the money to start his economic projects and safety nets considering that we have serious balance of payments, no support (for as long as we have our land) and - by his own words - does not want to engage the IMF? Who will come in? Why is he not telling us? and why is the interviewer not pressing him on that?

Tsvangirai also lies and says that IMF does not come to countries economically damaged as Zimbabwe

He promises Matabeleland all the social services, where is he going to get the money?

He also suggests that he does not know that there is corruption in Zimbabwe and yet in many of his other speeches and his party's literature, there is so much on that issue? He says he will investigate when he gets into power. Does that not give us a clue why he cannot win elections...because he does not know anything. He's working on specualtion.

How can Tsvangirai reconcile (and this is supposed to be the first question) land reforms that favour the majority without upsetting his faceless donors who have made it a point that land reform has to be reversed. Not that I say faceless and contradict myself. I use faceless because we know who is GOING to sponsor Tsvangirai - the West, IMF and WB. By the way, land reforms can also mean involving shifting land from the poor to the few rich and agribusiness, which is the trend around many countries dominated by the neoliberal logic. This is seen as thenormal thing to do. And of course we have heard some of our own people argue in support of this skewed and irrational logic. People are suffering yet these people with all the resources divert food to biofuels and unacceptable consumption we engage in the West.

Can Tsvangirai on the one hand say that he will provide healthcare for the 80 percent of people who are poor? Where will get the money to sustain the operations?

He also mentions about giving "CHOICE" to people in seeking healthcare. That is neoliberal code language for PRIVATIZATION. So Tsvangirai is going to have a two tier healthcare system which will be a precursor to PRIVATE HEALTHCARE? And when he has faied, which he will do according to his plan, to sustain the healthcare plan, he will then turn to the private providers to take over the healthcare system? Why should we introduce CHOICE? Why not building a system that caters for all so that we will make sure we do not discriminate against the poor by pushing resources to the rich?

How is Tsvangirai going to deal with external debt problem? Through debt forgiveness? Which only happens if a country accepts structural adjustment programme? Tsvangirai might try to rig interviews but we are going to see through this. Its very easy. As long as he exposes himself to the media, we will unpack his message. If he is quite, then we will not know what he stands for.

Tsvangirai has a lot to do about his policy...but he is beholden...he can't abandon the so-called "international Community" (read Western) norms to craft pro-Zimbabwe policies...heading for another spectacular defeat!!