Editorial Comment
June 27, 2008
Will Mugabe enjoy his extended stay in State House?
THE Movement for Democratic Change was riding on a wave of popular support in the face of an adverse political atmosphere right up to the March 29 harmonised elections. It secured victories in presidential, parliamentary and local government elections.
The victories were however marginal in circumstances which have aroused suspicion of manipulation. The result of the presidential election, for instance, was not announced for an astounding total of five weeks, totally unprecedented in the history of democratic elections. The level of anger reflected in the wave of post-election violence that has engulfed Zimbabwe has lent credibility to speculation that Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party might have sustained a more devastating defeat than was officially recognised.
Notwithstanding the intimidation and brutalization of the electorate there was evidence that the popularity of the MDC remained buoyant after the election, judging from the large turnouts wherever the party’s leader and presidential candidate, Morgan Tsvangirai, addressed before his rallies were officially banned. The MDC has produced evidence that more than 80 of its supporters have been massacred in the orgy of violence clearly perpetrated by marauding Zanu-PF militiamen.
While Zanu-PF officially denies any link to the killings, the maiming and the displacement of MDC supporters, the evidence is overwhelming.
In the circumstances, the last-minute decision by the MDC to pull its candidate from today’s second round of the March 29 presidential election must have been painful for both the party and Tsvangirai.
After the electoral hiccup of March today’s controversial election was bound to become the culmination of a quest for democratic change that has remained illusive since the parliamentary election of 2000. The choice before the electorate was simple. It was whether to confirm its original decision on March 29, for better or for worse, to give Tsvangirai an opportunity to take over the reigns of power from an ageing and increasingly capricious Mugabe, or to succumb to Mugabe’s threat that, once elected, Tsvangirai will hand Zimbabwe lock stock and barrel back to its former British colonisers.
Such arguments failed to persuade the electorate in March and, obviously sensing the prospect of another defeat Mugabe resorted to unorthodox campaign strategies, which have left scores dead, thousands maimed or homeless and his rival holed up in a foreign embassy in Harare.
The events of the past week have effectively denied the people of Zimbabwe of their long-awaited opportunity to determine, as is their democratic right, the future of their country. Tsvangirai decided the lives of his supporters were more important than the prospect of personal victory over Mugabe.
Whether or not Tsvangirai, by his tactical withdrawal, successfully saved lives can only be established in the aftermath of the one-candidate election. Mugabe has decided nothing will stop him.
Tsvangirai’s decision to quit must have partly been influenced by the logical expectation that his withdrawal would rouse an otherwise complacent international community, Africa and the SADC region in particular, into a more active role in seeking to find a solution to the Zimbabwe crisis. Indeed within four days a summit of the southern African regional organisation was convened in Swaziland. Tsvangirai immediately made optimistic remarks on the pending summit.
But the much hackneyed statements that were offered by way of a summit communiqué must have come as a mortal blow to Zimbabweans who, in their desperation, have grown accustomed to expecting salvation from SADC in general and President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, in particular.
If evidence was ever required that Zimbabwe and the world has misplaced faith in the capacity of SADC to intervene in a meaningful way that evidence was tendered in Swaziland on Wednesday.
To start with, the SADC Organ summit “noted with concern and disappointment that the opposition leader, Mr. Morgan Tsvangirai, has formally withdrawn from the Presidential run-off election scheduled for Friday the 27th of June 2008.”
This statement must have been tailored for the ears of Mugabe. But then the summit went to state in the most contradictory terms that “because of the current charged atmosphere the parties and people of Zimbabwe deserve a cooling off period.”
The summit therefore recommended to the authorities in Zimbabwe that they consider postponing the election.
Before the ink was dry on the communiqué at King Mswati’s Lozitha Palace outside Mbabane, Mugabe was breathing fire in Harare.
Not only did Mugabe and his acolytes ridicule SADC by immediately vowing today’s election would proceed as scheduled; addressing the party faithful and not-so-faithful who were herded to his rally in Chitungwiza yesterday he threatened to expose the skeletons allegedly lurking in the closets of some of his peers if they subjected him to further pressure at a forthcoming AU summit. Throwing all caution to the wind, Mugabe said, like Tsvangirai, some of the African Heads of State were, in fact, puppets of the West.
Perhaps, Mugabe’s threats to his fellow African leaders will ruffle presidential feathers sufficiently across the continent for some among them to finally say, “Enough.”
So much for SADC. Meanwhile, as for the poor people of Zimbabwe, their caring President has perhaps unwittingly prescribed a workable solution to their ongoing abuse and humiliation – divine intervention. Until then Mugabe will hopefully enjoy the remainder of his stay in State Harare, having robbed and bludgeoned his way back.
Print This Article
Email This Article
Comments
4 Responses to “Editorial Comment”Advertisement
-
Zimbabwe News Sites
OPINION POLL
-
Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.
OPINION POLL
-
Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.
ROBERT MUGABE SHOULD BURN IN HELL!!!!!! HOW THE HELL DO YOU PEOPLE SLEEP AT NIGHT?? INNOCENT PEOPLE BEIING KILLED?? ZIMBABWE USED TO BE SUCH A BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY!! LOOK AT WHAT THIS EVIL PRESIDENT HAS DONE? ALL BECAUSE He IS SELFISH. ALL OF YOU THAT SUPPORT HIM ARE ALSO EVIL, YOU ARE IN IT FOR THE MONEY ….YOU AND YOUR PRESIDENT GIVE AFRICA A BAD NAME ..AND I’M SO ASHAMED TO BE AFRICAN BECAUSE OF YOUR PRESIDENT!!! I PRAY TO GOD SONEONE HAS THE GUTS TO TELL HIM OFF…ALL PEOPLE WANT IS PEACE AND TO BE HAPPY AND HAVE RIGHTS AND FREEDOM BUT NO BECAUSE OF YOUR STUPID PRESIDENT ,THEY ARE KILLED!!!
MUGABE AND EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTS HIM, ALL OF YOU SHALL ROT IN HELL!!!!!!!
fellow african
I hope Thatchell will be in Egypt to help bring Matibili to the Hague
Hey “Fellow African” take it easy and relax. Try not to stress.
I am perturbed that almost every one is referring to Mugabe as President and to his henchmen as Ministers. Please for goodness’s sake let all references to Mugabe reflect the truth of the matter.
Mugabe is no longer a legitimate President and continued description of him as one is abominable and dangerous!
Please Mr Editor and all correspondents and contributors, Mugabe is no longer a President, he is a ursurper , a charlatan, and in any discourse ought to be reffered to as Robert , or Mugabe , or Matibili!
AS DARKNESS TURNS TO LIGHT. I HAVE NO DOUBT AT ALL THAT MUGABE WILL GO AND A NEW DISPENSATION AWAITS ZIMBABWE.
iNCIDENTALLY,MUGABE IS LIKELY TO MEET THE SAME FATE AS SADAAM HUSSEIN, THERE IS NO NEED TO FRET !