Tsvangirai tells the world: “We cannot walk this last mile alone”

The four signposts according to Newsweek are:

1. Retiring Mugabe

President Mugabe can rant and rave that he was elected in a free and fair election and therefore has a legitimate mandate to govern the country. The grim reality, however, is that, given his age and his crimes of omission and commission—from failing to develop cogent policies to meting out brutality against the Zimbabwean people—he must set the stage for national recovery. For the sake of his legacy, he needs to send out a message that the country is more important than individuals. All signs point to Mugabe wanting to die in office , but he must retire and set the stage for a new course for the country. If he truly loves this country, his departure will be the first positive sign to set the country on a new trajectory for recovery and growth.

2. Convergence and Dialogue

After that departure, there must be convergence and dialogue by multiple stakeholders that go beyond just political parties. That dialogue will be centered on the mechanics of the creation of a National Transitional Authority with a very specific and limited tenure and mandate.

3. The National Transitional Authority

In our view, the National Transitional Authority will not run government but will have the executive authority to put in place reforms that will precede a truly free and fair election. With its limited mandate and tenure, this diverse body must be obligated with the responsibility of steering the country towards a credible vote that will yield a legitimate government with the confidence of Zimbabweans, the region and the broader international community.

4. Free and Fair Elections

The fourth and last signpost of our roadmap is the conduct of a truly free and fair election. This will put in place a legitimate government that can inspire confidence locally, regionally and internationally.

The MDC-T was in a transitional government with Mugabe’s Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front from 2009 to 2013 and most people believe that the party lost a lot of support during that period as its senior members joined ZANU-PF on the gravy train.

Tsvangirai was Prime Minister in the transitional government but failed to make any impact. Instead he became more famous for being a womaniser after his first wife, Susan, died in a car accident a month after the formation of the inclusive government.

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