Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has accused hard liners of President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party of hindering the progress of the unity government in its effort to jumpstart the country' faltering economy. This comes after the government announced Wednesday it had exceeded its target of securing $1 billion in credit lines from Africa. Tsvangirai added that although he is committed to working with President Robert Mugabe to resolve the country's' numerous challenges, the hard liners were endangering Zimbabwe's future by violating the rule of law and the agreement that created the unity government. This, he said was making foreign donors to withhold much needed development aid.
Political analyst Mduduzi Khumalo told VOA that President Mugabe seems not to have decision-making power in his party.
"I concur with him. The fact that Zimbabwe took too long to come to an agreement over a coalition government is just an indication that there are a lot of hard liners within ZANU-PF, and those members of ZANU-PF are operating within government," Khumalo said.
The hard liners, he said, are positioned strategically within the structures of government.
"Specific people that I would cite for you are the members of the intelligence community, the entire security force as well people from the finance section and from the agricultural side," he said.
Khumalo said leading up to the signing of the agreement that led to the formation of the coalition government with the opposition President Mugabe seemed not to have the final say regarding which direction the party should take.
"I don't think Mugabe was still in control of his own political party. I think the decision making had just been taken over from him at certain level," Khumalo said.
He concurs that the hard liners have been detrimental to Zimbabwe getting help from foreign donors to resuscitate the country's faltering economy.
"I also agree with him (Tsvangirai) on that one and you know the problem of country's later being ruled by revolutionary forces or political parties that were once of revolutionary forces is that they fail to change when circumstances require changes, and that is the biggest problem," he said.
Khumalo said the hard liners think and act above the law.
"You've got people who will go into a person's farm and declare themselves owners of the farm, chase the person away and the person would not have any right recourse in the form of court and all those things," Khumalo said.
He said the hard liners have been resisting necessary reforms that would help Zimbabwe's shattered economy.
"So coming now into the decision making at a little bit higher level, those members of the liberation movement who are now in government at the executive level as well as the strategic level will be the people who do not want any changes," he said.
Khumalo welcomed the contribution of various African countries towards the resolution of Zimbabwe's economic crisis.
"I would imagine African countries making that contribution because our interest in Africa is that our African problems should be resolved as soon as possible because they affect the peace and stability of our region," Khumalo said.
Zimbabwe's unity government was formed to end years of sometimes violent political rivalry and allow leaders to concentrate on solving the country's economic crisis.
Zimbabwe has so far secured one billion dollars from African financial institutions such as the African Development Bank, the Cairo-based African Export-Import Bank and one $150 million from neighboring South Africa and Botswana.
The loans will be used to revive Zimbabwe's industries, which are operating at around 10 percent capacity due to foreign currency shortages, a hostile operating environment and government price controls.
Meanwhile, Economic Planning Minister Elton Mangoma said efforts to raise $1 billion in direct aid from donors which the government desperately needs to fund its operations, have largely been unsuccessful, with only $35 million secured from South Africa and China.
Some analysts say the loans will be used to revive
Zimbabwe's industries, which are operating at around 10 percent capacity due to
foreign currency shortage, a hostile operating environment and government price
controls.
