Amnesty International Damns Unity Government

Irene Khan, Head Honcho at Amnesty International is seen here at a press conference in Harare earlier today. She said human rights violations persist and said the Unity Government had failed to arrest this trend.

In Zimbabwe today, Irene Khan, the Secretary General of Amnesty International, issued a damning report of the Unity government to journalists.

But even this was couched in diplomatic-speak, which is uncharacteristic of the organisation.

Khan said commitment was lacking from "sections" of the government, without naming names.

She did, however, state that "persistent and serious human rights violations continue."

Quite sensibly, she also added, "The government must give as much attention to securing human rights reforms as they are to seeking economic resources."

This will no doubt get The Solution's back up. It will be dismissed as talk of regime-change agenda. It is all quite predictable that way.

The Mail and Guardian says: "Khan said a climate of intimidation pervades, with human rights activists and Tsvangirai supporters still being prosecuted on terror charges, adding that media reforms have been ignored."

It appears Mugabe s following through on what I told you a few weeks back, about Mugabe telling the Prime Minister that the economy is the priority according to the GPA and he wants to see those sanctions gone or he is not implementing any of things the MDC wants.

Which will mean no swearing in of Roy Bennett, no Governors, no Ambassadors, - nothing. Zilch for the MDC. As Mugabe said during his June 27 solo run-off, "What can they do to us that they have not already done?"

What is important is to understand the meaning of all this.

Mugabe is no friend of Amnesty International. He is no friend of anyone in the West, in fact. Ask Simba Makoni and he will tell you the absolutely delusional paranoia Mugabe has about whites trying to topple him (the regime change agenda).

Ask Morgan Tsvangirai to repeat to you what he told an interviewer in September last year about Mugabe's "paranoia and obsession with the British."

Tsvangirai, as a result of the Amnesty International push and the refusal to grant relief to Zimbabwe by Western governments, will not be able to shake off the image of a Trojan Horse from Westminster that Mugabe has of him.

He will become even more paranoid that they want to replace him with Tsvangirai as president and that he can expect that no quarter will be given he were to lose power. It would be off with his head, he will think.

I fear Morgan Tsvangirai may be right is what he told a Wits University last month: "President Mugabe is not going anywhere until we achieve positive results in this government."

Elections do not come into it, apparently, according to the PM. Nor does the will of the people. No. Mugabe's condition is "positive results", the PM says.

And that means lifting sanctions, and seeing a growth in the economy, just so the old man does not leave the stage in disgrace.

That could take ten years.

I could go on about cornered bulls and how they fight, but we all know that: Mugabe is in a corner with sanctions and unfortunately for the Prime Minister, The Solution also has the PM in a pincer.

For the next three months or so, it will be a battle of wills, to see who cracks first, who gives in, concedes.

I am indeed taking bets.