It is important to note that the agreement to form a government of national unity was formed as the last resort after other processes failed to work. The long-ruling ZANU-PF refused to honour the democratic process and listen to the voice of the people. This necessitated a negotiated solution.
In other words Zimbabwe is where it is now, primarily because among others, the unpopular President Robert Mugabe and ZANU-PF wanted to cling to power. However, we recognise that political realism had to obtain and hence for Zimbabwean people to be saved from the mindless suffering that was unfolding, a negotiated solution had to be found. The southern African region worked hard to bring about this solution. It may have been an imperfect solution from imperfect conditions but it served a purpose. We saw Zimbabweans coming back to their country to take part in its reconstruction. Families could access basic amenities. Doctors wet back to their jobs and children could get medical attention. If there is anything that critics of former South African president Thabo Mbeki should acknowledge, it is that at least his intervention brought a negotiated settlement to the Zimbabwean problem.
