Sometimes one is presented with a once-in-a-life-time chance, for Zimbabwe that was it. Sadly Tsvangirai wasted it!

Your proposal of a sovereign national conference (SNC) which will be tasked to elect an interim government tasked to write a new constitution and then organise free and fair election, could work for Zimbabwe. The Junta has disrupted attempts to write a new constitution and it is will be near impossible to stop future disruptions. The alternative is to bite the bullet and go for internationally supervised fresh elections. The emerging regime can then be tasked to facilitate the SNC which will write the new constitution.

Zimbabweans have known for a long time that Mugabe is a ruthless tyrant but for decades we would not accept it. When the economy down turn started in earnest in the late 1980s people pointed at the “incompetent ministers” and would not blame Mugabe although he was the one who appointed the ministers and worse still would not fire them no matter what. It took decades before the people would acknowledge the root cause was Mugabe himself. Now the people are giving Tsvangirai the same “not to be criticised” treatment. A situation Tsvangirai has taken full advantage of, of course; and has made one blunder after the other with shocking indifference as to the tragic consequences of the blunders.

Zimbabweans have known for a long time that Mugabe is a ruthless tyrant but for decades we would not accept it. When the economy down turn started in earnest in the late 1980s people pointed at the “incompetent ministers” and would not blame Mugabe although he was the one who appointed the ministers and worse still would not fire them no matter what. It took decades before the people would acknowledge the root cause was Mugabe himself. Now the people are giving Tsvangirai the same “not to be criticised” treatment. A situation Tsvangirai has taken full advantage of, of course; and has made one blunder after the other with shocking indifference as to the tragic consequences of the blunders.

Whilst I agree that Mugabe and JOC are completely sold to the idea that “every economic and social problem can be solved with the application of sufficient force,” as you said. Indeed the Junta demonstrated this so graphically during the sham June 2008 presidential run off. Still I believe if Tsvangirai had had the mental acuity and refused to be a part to such a murderous regime the Junta would have been truly stuck because the international community including many African countries would have stood behind Tsvangirai.

Sometimes one is presented with a once-in-a-life-time chance, for Zimbabwe that was it. Sadly Tsvangirai wasted it!

Your proposal of a sovereign national conference (SNC) which will be tasked to elect an interim government tasked to write a new constitution and then organise free and fair election, could work for Zimbabwe. The Junta has disrupted attempts to write a new constitution and it is will be near impossible to stop future disruptions. The alternative is to bite the bullet and go for internationally supervised fresh elections. The emerging regime can then be tasked to facilitate the SNC which will write the new constitution.