Drive to solve the Zimbabwe deadlock
Published Date:
25 October 2008
By ANGUS SHAW
FRESH efforts are being made to break the power deadlock in Zimbabwe after the true scope of a growing food crisis emerged.
Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), will attend a rescheduled summit on Monday to haggle with Robert Mugabe, the president and leader of Zanu-PF, over powerful ministries in a proposed new cabinet.
This is despite MDC claims that Mr Mugabe's government refuses to issue Mr Tsvangirai a passport.
Without political agreement, Zimbabwe has virtually no government and is tipping into chaos.
Inflation is officially 231 million per cent. Food, fuel and most other basic goods are scarce: some villagers are surviving on roots and wild fruits. Near Harare on Thursday, reporters saw women scrabbling to pick up a few ears of corn spilled on the road from a passing lorry.
Health authorities have reported 27 deaths from cholera in the past month, with hundreds more cases of cholera and diarrhoea from sewage-contaminated water being treated across the country amid collapsing power, water and sewage services.
The full article contains 181 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
-
Last Updated:
24 October 2008 9:57 PM
-
Source:
The Scotsman
-
Location:
Edinburgh