Zimbabwe

Tsvangirai sworn in as Prime Minister

Article published on the 2009-02-11 Latest update 2009-02-11 17:47 TU

Morgan Tsvangirai at the ceremony at State House in Harare.
(Photo: Reuters)

Zimbabwe's long-term opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai became Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister Wednesday, bringing his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) into a unity government with his rival, President Robert Mugabe. Former South African President, Thabo Mbeki, who mediated the power-sharing agreement, attended the swearing-in ceremony.

"I will well and truly serve Zimbabwe in the office of Prime Minister," Tsvangirai said, taking the oath of office from Mugabe.

Tsvangirai plans to address a crowd in a stadium later Wednesday. Supporters worry that the MDC could be outmanoeuvred by Mugabe’s Zanu-PF.

"The sceptics must understand why we have done this, and what is the best course of action to address the questions and challenges of transition in this political environment," Tsvangirai said Tuesday.

He is now Prime Minister of a country still recovering from political violence, following the first round of presidential voting last March, which left at least 180 dead.

Morgan Tsvangirai (L) is sworn in as Prime Minister by President Robert Mugabe, 11 February 2009
(Photo: Reuters)

Tsvangirai pulled out of the second round, and Mugabe took over as President, a post he has held since independence in 1980. South Africa mediated the power-sharing deal, which involves a political division of cabinet posts. Tsvangirai becomes the head of a government of a population with 94 per cent unemployment, with rampant inflation and a cholera epidemic that has spread across the country since August.

"It’s a welcome development, provided it is going to bring about change […] we would like to see change in the very near future," said Tessy Mukwito from the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions.

"Obviously workers expectations involve change for better living standards, change for better salaries and wages. Especially the currency, that should be useable in a country," Mukwito told RFI from Bulawayo.

"They [people] are not 100 per cent sure. Not that they don’t trust Morgan Tsvangirai, but what they don’t trust is the situation, because with power-sharing, they haven’t experienced a similar system. So people are saying, let’s just wait and see," Mukwito added.