Zimbabwe Absurdity

My foreman looked sceptical. I’d just asked him what he thought of the latest political developments i.e. the agreement to be signed in Joburg agreeing to talk between Mugabe and Tsvangirai (and their political parties). He seemed to think that most people did not really see what it was all about. I explained that according to commentators on the BBC that Bob was probably looking for a secure escape route (what, in AFRICA?) possibly as a figurehead president with Morgan as the power holding prime-minister. One has to bear in mind that Bob has to negotiate from a position of strength. He still looked sceptical.

But there is some encouraging news about if you look hard enough. My landlord’s wife, Gill, told me this morning that they’d been to Imire Game Park near Marondera over the weekend to see their son who is managing the game and lodge. A power that is had been recently to assure them that the negative publicity about Imire (slaughtered rhinos etc.) had to stop and actually saw off some “war vets” (hired thugs) whilst he was there. By all accounts the training camps for the youths who terrorized the rural areas before the last election have also been disbanded.

I must admit that this is the furthest down a negotiated settlement road that we have ever been but we have seen our hopes dashed too many times to get excited just yet. We’ll just have to wait and see.