Boycotting a Useless Government

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai announced Friday that he and the MDC would be boycotting the unity government, meaning they will not attend Cabinet meetings, council of Ministers meetings, and the weekly meetings among the parties to the unity government. This does not represent an official pullout, however; the MDC is retaining its positions. The party is protesting continued ill treatment by Mugabe’s dominant ZANU-PF, culminating in the re-arrest (and subsequent release on bail) of the MDC nominated deputy minister for agriculture, Roy Bennett, who faces charges of terrorism, insurgency, sabotage and banditry. These accusations are generally understood to be fabrications.

This boycott is unlikely to have much effect on how things are run in Zimbabwe. ZANU-PF officials have failed to consult with their MDC counterparts in most serious decisions, and the prime minister has been ineffective in most of his duties (beyond attracting a small amount of new international aid and interest). He has not made any headway on getting the military out of the diamond mines, and despite repeated pleas he has not been able to stop farm invasions. ZANU-PF has been undermining MDC authority whenever it can, particularly through its mouthpiece the state Herald. A recent teachers’ strike against the policies of the MDC-controlled Ministry of Education was violently enforced by ZANU-PF militia, who beat teachers who tried to return to work. The MDC has certainly not been a real partner in the government.

Tsvangirai hopes that this boycott will lead to fruitful negotiations over several outstanding issues, including Mugabe’s refusal to appoint several MDC governors. This is not overly likely to work. ZANU-PF seems undisturbed by the pullout, saying “If MDC wants to disengage … we don’t have a problem with that… We were having problems with MDC, working together.” There are strong elements in ZANU-PF that want to end the unity government, and this may be the opportunity they have been looking for. The party can simply refuse to negotiate terms with the MDC.

By pulling out, Tsvangirai has at least proven to his doubters that he has not been bought by ZANU-PF and that he is willing to put action behind his pronouncements that the government is not working. Unfortunately, circumstances in Zimbabwe are not conducive to MDC’s gaining real state power in the near future. Just about any compromise that brings the MDC back into this government is going to be unacceptable or unimplemented.

This is not to say that they should not return. The slight improvement in economy and stability that has come from being less of an international pariah has certainly been worthwhile. But we should not kid ourselves that Zimbabwe is anywhere near the verge of political change; no elite pact is going to lead to democracy in this case.