Zimbabwe Crisis Easing; Tsvingerai To Become Prime Minister?

Reuters is reporting that Morgan Tsvingirai and his opposition Movement for Democratic Change will form a government with the thug Robert Mugabe.

Tsvangirai made the announcement after a meeting of the Movement for Democratic Change's decision-making National Council.

"We are going into this government. That is what the council has decided," Tsvangirai, who is set to become prime minister, told reporters.

The decision will increase Zimbabwe's chances of recovering from economic collapse and easing a humanitarian crisis in which more than 60,000 people have been infected by cholera and more than half the population needs food aid.

Zimbabweans have been longing for a new leadership that can ease the world's highest inflation rate and severe food, fuel and foreign currency shortages. Millions have fled the suffering to neighboring countries, straining regional economies.

Western aid and financial assistance tied to the creation of a democratic government and economic reform will be crucial to rescuing what was once one of Africa's most promising countries.

"Without the support of those governments, the deal will have major difficulties in really opening the way for a turnaround of the situation in Zimbabwe," said Mike Davies, Middle East and Africa expert at risk analysts Eurasia Group.

With Mugabe still running the show, there's little that Tsvingerai can actually do here. Mugabe's ruinous economic policies destroyed the economy, shattered the infrastructure, and created the conditions that now decimate the Zimbabwean people.

That includes a cholera epidemic that is wholly avoidable had Mugabe's government paid attention to proper sanitation and potable water supplies. That includes hyperinflation that doubles the costs of goods every 24 hours (231 million percent).

Unless Tsvingerai is going to be able to reverse all of Mugabe's ruinous policies, the situation will persist, regardless of foreign assistance. It is only on that latter point that some of the suffering may be eased. Now that a government is formed, foreign governments are more likely to provide aid and assistance to the Zimbabwean government to deal with the humanitarian crises.