JOHANNESBURG – Zimbabwe’s ruling elite operates like a “criminal mafia,” abducting and murdering political opponents while their subjects face a daily struggle against disease and worsening economic hardships, neighbouring South Africa’s trade union movement has said. 

In a New Year message the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) criticized southern Africa leaders for kowtowing to President Robert Mugabe while ignoring he lost elections last March and was unwilling to implement a power-sharing deal with the opposition.  

“While millions of ordinary Zimbabweans struggle to survive and avoid falling prey to cholera, the ruling elite are now ruling as a criminal mafia, arresting, abducting and murdering anyone standing in their way,” said COSATU in the statement released Monday.

The union has led criticism against Mugabe’s government and in one of several actions against the Zimbabwean leader, last April blocked a Chinese ship carrying weapons for Zimbabwe from offloading its cargo at a South African port saying Mugabe could use the arms against opponents.

COSATU, which is part of South Africa’s ruling tripartite that is led by the ANC and includes the South African Communist Party, criticized Southern African Development Community (SADC) for its kid gloves approach towards Mugabe.

It said: “The SADC leaders have shamelessly ignored the daily, widespread abuse of human rights by a ‘government’ that lost the elections on 29 March 2008, while trying to patch up a ‘power-sharing’ agreement that would leave the party that won that election with a token role in a government still dominated by Mugabe’s police state and paramilitary thugs.”

The SADC, which analysts say has the most influence over the Harare administration, has resisted calls by Western governments for Mugabe to step down, insisting the only way to resolve Zimbabwe’s crisis was through a power-sharing agreement signed three months ago.

Mugabe, opposition leaders Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara signed an agreement on September 15 to form a government of national unity, raising hopes that Zimbabwe could finally emerge from its crisis.

But the agreement brokered by former South African President Thabo Mbeki has failed to take off as Mugabe and his main rival Tsvangirai wrangle over who should control key ministries and other top government posts.

A spate of abductions of opposition supporters and government critics in recent weeks has added to doubts over the power-sharing pact, with Tsvangirai threatening to quit talks unless the kidnappings are brought to an end and all abductees are released.

Once a regional breadbasket, Zimbabwe, is in the grip of an unprecedented economic and humanitarian crisis marked by acute shortages of food and basic commodities, amid a cholera epidemic that the United Nations says has killed more than 1 000 people since August.

Critics blame the crisis on misrule by Mugabe who has presided over the southern African nation since its 1980 independence from Britain.

Mugabe denies ruining Zimbabwe and instead blames his country’s problems on economic sabotage and sanctions by Westerns governments opposed to his rule. – ZimOnline.