The Queen made a famous remark about a year in her life, describing it as a “horrible year”. I am sure that Mr. Mugabe will say the same thing about 2006.Isolated and ignored by the world community, increasingly ostracized by African leaders and now under real pressure by the region, Mugabe is isolated and alone. His Party has fractured into three or four factions, each of whom is striving for ascendancy and there is nothing but bad news from the economy.
Finally poor old Robert started to receive widespread reports of preparations for mass action against his regime. The MDC has virtually rebuilt itself around new leadership and is increasingly effective on the ground. It has taken several new initiatives – the development of a comprehensive “Road Map” describing how we can get back on our feet, it has also developed a “Democracy Charter” that spells out what the MDC stands for and it has crafted a national alliance with all the minor opposition Parties, Civil Society and the Churches.
Intelligence is also reaching the authorities that the MDC is talking to the leadership of the Police, Army and Air Force. This is the final bastion of power for Zanu PF and they know that the day that the Broad Alliance goes onto the street in numbers and the security forces stand by and do nothing, that is the day that Zanu PF begins to run out of options and its final demise looms.
On Friday last week the entire National Executive of the MDC marched from our Party Headquarters to Parliament and presented a copy of the road map to the Speaker. They then marched back to the HQ and disbanded – it took about an hour. The Police simply stood by and watched. We did not know what to expect and the center of the City came to a halt for that short period of time. We hear that Mr. Mugabe was furious.
But the reality lies in a single incident last weekend when a senior Zanu PF leader met one of our leaders at a function. “When are you guys going to do something?” he asked plaintively. “We (in Zanu PF) can do nothing – we are paralysed and the Old Man just refuses to go. It’s up to you.”
It demonstrates the reality that change is on its way here – in one form or another and that the long night of Zanu PF monopoly of power is almost at an end. Mr. Mugabe knows that and I am sure has difficulty sleeping these days, hated at home and despised abroad, 2006 is proving to be his Waterloo in many different ways.