Hivos: Little effect from power sharing in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe may be 85, but resignation is far from his mind. Since last year’s elections, his party, ZANU PF, has shared power with Tsvangirai’s MDC. But in practice, Mugabe still lays down the law and the influence of the MDC is minimal. Because of this, donors are hesitant about promising help for the country’s reconstruction.
Corina Straatsma, director of the Hivos regional office in Harare, Zimbabwe: “ZANU-PF frustrates any changes that MDC wants to implement, and so the situation in Zimbabwe shows no improvement. For instance, there is still no freedom of the media, and demonstrators are still being arrested.
Also, white farms are still being expropriated. Because of this, local production has fallen to a minimum and export – and therefore the influx of foreign currency with which to import food – has disintegrated. The result is huge food shortages. Two-thirds of the population now needs food aid.” But policy of Hivos in Zimbabwe has not changed.
Human rights, agriculture, economy and freedom of the press continue to have the highest priority. Straatsma: “The only -slight- change for us, is that we may feel a bit safer, thanks to our good contacts with the MDC ministers. Now we just hope that the situation in Zimbabwe will improve soon. And that the country will soon have a constitution that makes it impossible for Mugabe to be re-elected.”
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