A rational person would have far more faith in the Zimbabwean opposition to stop Mugabe's future demands than in the American opposition's willingness to resist Bush's recent decree ("Our Work Is Not Done -- Congress "will need to complete work on the comprehensive reforms requested by Director of National Intelligence").

Actually, at this point a rational person would have far more faith in the likelihood that the ravages of age itself might halt the 84 year old Mugabe, though some observers do actually place hope in a regional crisis negotiation process.

One of the better sources on can use to follow up on Zimbabwe's developing crisis is the Mail & Guardian of South Africa. One has to recall that South Africa borders Zimbabwe: reportedly 5,000 fleeing Zimbabweans daily cross the crocodile-infested rivers. South Africans and their government fear that a campaign to destabilize Mugabe's regime may lead directly to state collapse and a gigantic flight of escapees into South Africa, although South Africa's President Mbeki cannot use this as his excuse for having been so reluctant to take Mugabe on at all. South Africa's union federation COSATU has led protests against Mbeki's passive coddling of Mugabe, dissenting members of the ruling ANC coalition have been quieted, and South Africa's opposition parties have also criticized Mbeki's inaction.

Here's a good summary from today's M&G on the opposition and its regional support from a regional perspective. It's not an accident that you often have anonymous bylines for Zimbabwe reporting.

SADC: Mugabe in the pound seats

Mail & Guardian reporter

In the five months since the Southern African Development Community (SADC) asked President Thabo Mbeki to mediate in the Zimbabwe crisis, Robert Mugabe has pushed through legislation entrenching his rule, widened rifts with his opponents and made policy decisions that have deepened his country’s economic crisis.

With just a week to go before Mbeki is due to present a report on the progress of his mediation efforts in Zimbabwe, there are no visible signs that Mugabe has cooperated as much as SADC and Mbeki had hoped.

But analysts say Mbeki goes into next week’s SADC summit in Lusaka encouraged that a set of recom­mendations to rescue Zim­babwe’s economy is now ready.

...With [a] veil of secrecy over [regionally mediated] talks, it is difficult to gauge the success of the Mbeki mediation.

There is the question of how much of the recommended reforms Mugabe will be prepared to accept. This will be key in determining the future of the Mbeki mediation process, opposition figures in Zimbabwe say privately.

Zanu-PF seems to feel it is under no pressure; it has missed meetings at will and stalled the talks on constitutional reform. Its deputy spokesperson, Ephraim Masawi, this week said his party’s delegation to the dialogue is waiting now for a formal briefing by Mugabe before taking a final position on whether to discuss a new constitution.

But among Mugabe’s opponents, patience with the regional mediation process seems to have run out...

Representatives of both factions of the [opposition party] MDC have been criss-crossing the region this week, anxious to prod it to take more urgent action.

Despite outrage over the brutal beating of opposition politicians and activists, Mugabe escaped public SADC censure at the last summit in March. State media gloated over what it saw as a diplomatic victory, saying Mugabe had managed to convince the summit that he had acted only to defend the country against a violent opposition.

At the March meeting in Dar es Salaam, he presented what was called “a dossier of the MDC’s terror tactics” prepared by police.

But now it turns out that the entire document was a collection of lies crafted by the police. A Harare High Court judge -- ending the five-month detention of 13 opposition activists accused of taking part in a petrol bomb campaign earlier this year -- dismissed police claims that the activists had created a South African-based and opposition-run terror training camp, adding that witnesses who police say had linked petrol bomb attacks to the MDC were entirely “fictitious”...

http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=316231&area=/insight/insight__africa/

It is hoped by many that when Zambia's president takes over the rotating SADC leadership, his vocal opposition to Mugabe's lunatic tyranny means he will be more willing to act than Mbeki.

Specifically on the new surveillance law, this:

Media body slams Zim's eavesdrop law

Johannesburg, South Africa

Media watchdog Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) on Monday slammed Zimbabwe for passing a controversial law allowing the government to monitor phone calls, faxes and emails.

"Zimbabwe had already given itself one of the world's most repressive legislative arsenals as regards press freedom. Now all forms of communication have been placed under surveillance," the Paris-based body said in a statement.

"RSF regrets that the Interception of Communications Act was finally signed into law by President Robert Mugabe on August 3. The promulgation of this law is further evidence of Mugabe's desire to keep news and information under close control."

http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=315976&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__africa/