Zimbabwe Independence Day: Mugabe and Tsvangirai celebrate together

By Raymond Maingire

HARARE – Zimbabwe’s former political rivals came together again Saturday to mark Independence Day in yet another public demonstration of their new found spirit of cooperation as political partners. President Robert Mugabe was joined at the celebration for the first time since the formation of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) by the party’s leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, as well as by Arthur Mutambara, who heads a smaller faction of the MDC.

This was before thousands of their supporters who converged to mark the 29th anniversary of the country’s independence at the giant National Sports Stadium outside the city centre.

The festivities were, however, dented by yet another apparent demonstration of contempt for the Tsvangirai, the Prime Minister, by the country’s service chiefs.

They seem to be living up to their public vows just before last year’s harmonized elections that they were not going to salute Tsvangirai.

President Mugabe arrived at the stadium at the same time Tsvangirai was also arriving. The service chiefs all left their seats to welcome Mugabe.

Since the formation of the all inclusive government early this year, the service chiefs have not yet demonstrated anything that could show they have abandoned their disdain for Tsvangirai.

The powerful service chiefs, who include Defence Forces Commander General Constantine Chiwenga, Prisons Commissioner, Paradzayi Zimondi, Police Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri, and Air Marshall Perrence Shiri, are seen as the major stumbling block towards full implementation of the terms set by the unity agreement.

Perhaps the most conspicuous salute came from the multitudes in the stadium who greeted with rapturous cheers every appearance of Tsvangirai’s face on the stadium’s giant screen where the proceedings were displayed.

Meanwhile, Mugabe has called for political tolerance among supporters of different parties.

Presenting his keynote address, Mugabe said the country must be allowed to heal.

“For the Global Political Agreement to succeed,” Mugabe said, “there is need for national healing to put behind the atmosphere of hostility and polarisation which had regrettably become a feature of our national politics.”

“To this end, government has appointed ministers of state representing the three political parties to the agreement to promote the process of national healing.”

Mugabe, who has in the past used this occasion for sabre-rattling bordering on incitement of his supporters to violence, said there was need to create an atmosphere of peace in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe is still smarting from a two-month orgy of political violence which left nearly 200 MDC supporters killed and thousands maimed allegedly by the army and Zanu-PF supporters angered by the 85-year-old leader’s defeat by Tsvangirai in the March 29, 2008 elections.

Tsvangirai, however, pulled out of the subsequent presidential runoff election citing the impossibility of holding a credible election because of state sponsored violence, leaving Mugabe to proceed with the election and declare himself the winner.

“As Zimbabweans,” Mugabe said, “we need to create an environment of tolerance and treat one another with dignity and the decency irrespective of age, gender, race, ethnicity, tribe and political or religious affiliation.

“This also means an end to those instances of violence that have needlessly caused untold harm to several members of our society.”

Mugabe again called on Britain and its allies in the West to lift sanctions against Zimbabwe

He said Zimbabwe’s land reform programme was irreversible.

“Surely our legitimate and national aspirations should be allowed to evolve without the burden of sanctions and undue interference and pressures from the European Union and the United States.

“We take heart in the SADC pledge to partner us in calling for the removal of these sanctions which threaten to derail our economic recovery efforts.

“As a nation we need to continue speaking with one forceful voice across the political spectrum against these sanctions.”