Zimbabwe has gone through the most dramatic decade in her existence under the rule of Robert Mugabe. What was a decade of degradation, what with operation ‘clean sweep’ and fraudulent remittances, of tumultuous elections with violence, disease and starvation abundant, seemed to be near an end with the signing of a unity government. The Zanu-PF and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) have together sought, in principle, to lift international sanctions and spark an economy long since dead.

In practice, change only occurred through the diligent works of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvarangirai. He has achieved personally for funds from the IMF, the United States and from the United Kingdom to be allocated in support of Zimbabwe. He has brought Spain to the geopolitical table as a strong advocate to begin talks with the international community over further sanction lifts.

Robert Mugabe, on the opposite hand, has led a party which has done nothing but besmirch Zimbabwean democracy by arresting would-be ministers simply due to their party alliance (Roy Bennett), condemning the actions of their united brothers, and redefining ‘political gaffes’ which could have a very significant adverse effect to their nation receiving such aid.

It is in lieu of this and in protest specifically to the continued persecution of Mr. Bennett that the MDC have stepped away from the figurative table.

Stalemate is never a winning strategy, particularly not when the nation in such a predicament is desperate for tangible change.

Foreign investment will indeed return, and those businesses, many of which stem from China will thrive. It will be through mediation to this melodrama and remittances this time given to the MDC that consideration from said businesses can truly occur.