Sunday Times (Johannesburg) - December 8, 2004

CONVOYS of limousines, Mercedes-Benz Kompressors, Lexuses, BMWs, Jeep Cherokees and other posh cars roll into the grounds of the luxurious five-star Sheraton Hotel and Towers in Harare, creating a dazzling spectacle.

Stepping out, their occupants show off designer suits and latest-model cellphones.

It is an extravaganza worthy of any Hollywood gathering.

But the spectacle is spoilt by the thousands of hungry-looking people who make up the rent-a-crowd hired to sing and dance to greet the delegates attending the leadership congress of Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party.

The praise singers represent the other face of Zimbabwe: a country where shortages of basics like water, fuel and electricity are rife, where foreign currency is difficult to get and inflation is running at 200%.

This is a country described last week by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a virtual basket case.

But for the top brass of Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF - or "chefs" as they are known locally - who arrived at their congress in such style this week, that might as well be a continent away.

While thousands are said to be starving in his country, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his entourage sit at VIP tables decorated with flowers and bearing drinks, water and imported delicacies.

Inside the venue, banners like "MDC: The People's Enemies" or "2005 Anti-Blair Election" hang on the walls.

The 10000 delegates - some put up at the city's finest hotels - enjoy three hearty meals a day, a far cry from some of their families starving back home.

Some of the delegates, ambassadors in particular, have been flown from all over the world to attend.

Altogether, about Z$20-billion (about R20-million) is believed to have been blown on the congress.

Yet, despite the problems besetting his people, Mugabe does not talk about poverty, unemployment and macroeconomic fundamentals such as inflation, interest rates and the exchange rate in his keynote address.

Instead, he spends most of his time attacking real or perceived enemies, especially the opposition Movement for Democratic Change and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Even points about the economy, land, elections, the power struggle in his party and international relations are punctuated throughout by vitriolic remarks about Blair.

Mostly, the five-day conference - which ends today - is characterised by infighting and a vicious power struggle between two factions, one led by Mugabe's former heir-apparent Emmerson Mnangagwa and another by retired army general Solomon Mujuru.

Outside the conference, however, another Zimbabwe is evident - one slated by the IMF, which has visited Zimbabwe three times this year in a bid to pull the country out of the quagmire.

In a report issued last month, the organisation said Zimbabwe's social and economic conditions had continued to deteriorate.

In particular, it said the disorderly implementation of the land reform programme had contributed to a sharp reduction in agricultural production.

"Concerns about governance, the rule of law and human rights, and the continued lack of clarity about property rights," it said, "have severely damaged confidence, discouraged investment, and promoted capital flight and emigration.

"Unemployment is very high and increasing, social indicators have worsened, and the HIV/ Aids pandemic remains largely unchecked.

"Severe food shortages have necessitated massive food imports and donor assistance," it said.

But those inside the Sheraton Hotel and Towers this week appeared blind to this reality, ignoring their culpability as they plot their course - and that of Zimbabwe - for the next five years.

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