Roy Bennett
17 August 2001
opinion
Hardliners (or hawks) within government, who seem to be dominating events, are strong African nationalists who see "land" as their last means of holding onto power. They are prepared to sacrifice a large proportion of the economy to achieve this. The question is how much? The doves, headed by Simba Makoni, are more economically minded, but have failed to influence events as had been hoped. We must presume that we are stuck with the hawks as long as we have Zanu PF.
The violence and aggression of Zanu PF is driven by fear. Why are they reacting to events in such a manner? The more afraid they are, the more violent they become. We need to draw hope from this bizarre scenario.
Their main strategy is to destroy their political opponents and the middle class whom they identify as the Movement for Democratic Change. They do this brazenly and if there is any reaction, the police have clear instructions to arrest the reactors.
Who in government's mind comprises the MDC? Whether it is true or not is another question, but Zanu PF view all of the following with suspicion: the ZCTU, teachers, the NCA, white businessmen, certain black businessmen, commercial farmers, farm labourers, the urban middle class, the whole of Matabeleland and most of Manicaland. Apart from the communal people who else is there?
The war veterans have been told that they can get away with anything except murder (and even this at times). Particularly on farms, we have had it confirmed that the war veterans have a clear agenda of provocation so that farmers will either be arrested for violence or for provoking violence. Zanu PF admit to being confused and dumfounded by lack of retaliation on the part of farmers and this summarises the position of the party.
Let us be clear, there is no future under a Zanu PF government. It is naive and short-sighted to believe that a leopard can change its spots! As Zimbabweans, wh-ere do we stand? From where can we draw hope in these dark times? We can take heart because our friends and allies are all around us, common Zimbabweans, if only we would open our eyes and hearts. They, like us, are crying out for change.
We can also take heart from the amazing resilience and heroism of farmers. They have been at the cutting edge for 15 months. We will not let them down. We can take heart from the fact that brave men and women in the MDC have risked their lives to offer the people of Zimbabwe a credible alternative to Zanu PF. We must not let them down by supping with the devil.
The MDC is a steadfastly democratic party which is determined to introduce democratic governance to this country for the first time. Let us bear in mind that this country has never yet experienced democracy. The MDC is a non-violent party committed to the rule of law, and this will be reintroduced immediately an MDC govern- ment is installed.
It must be remembered that the majority of Zimbabweans serving in both the police and the armed forces are professional people whose morale is at an all-time low as a result of the installation of - in most cases - incompetent Zanu PF sycophants to the most senior posts. They are, generally, as unhappy at the break down of law and order as we are. Yet they are constitutionally bound to serve the government of the day.
The MDC is a party committed to ensuring that there exists an enabling macroeconomic environment which will be investor friendly without sacrificing the Zimbabwean identity and traditions. Within this context, the MDC is firmly committed to commercial agriculture as the base of Zimbabwe's economic pyramid.
We can take heart because the evil of Zanu PF has been exposed to the people of Zimbabwe. They feel the economic disaster in their daily lives and in a free and fair election the people will vote them out. The evil of Zanu PF has also been exposed to the world. As a result Zanu PF has lost all international support and credibility. Try as they might, the world will never believe their lies again.
The Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Bill is a clear indication of the importance the US attaches to this country. It is developing a general approach to Africa based on accountable governance as a basis for sustainable economic development.
South Africa is the key player in this regard and it views US support as key to its vision of an Africa renaissance. We need look no further than at President Thabo Mbeki's watering down of the inaugural African Union's ministerial statement which sought to condone Mugabe's excesses. The EU has already taken a clear position on Zimbabwe, giving it 60 days to return to the rule of law.
We can take heart because all these players are united in a strategy (endorsed by the MDC) which is to ensure the freeness and fairness of our presidential elections, as part of a broader strategy to encourage the nascent democratic movement that is now emerging across Africa.
What then can we do? Our challenge is to survive, and in the process to unite with all our potential friends which comprise most of the people of Zimbabwe. We all need to forge unions and bonds with groups and communities. In order to survive the strong must help the weak and community plans will help identify these.
For farmers there is an obvious union that must develop. It is the union between themselves and their workers. The loyalty between these groups is an under-developed asset. The workers, as human beings, need to be included in decisions about their future and the dilemmas of how to deal with aggressive or passive invaders. After all, don't we owe much of what we have to the efforts of our workers?
There are enough people of conscience in Zimbabwe to see the way ahead and to act accordingly. The fortitude of the poorest amongst us to do what is right should be an inspiration to us all. We are at one of those pivotal moments in history about which people will write in the years ahead.
It might seem to be a particularly long moment, but it needs to be, as many people have not yet used it to help define themselves.
Roy Bennett is MP for Chimanimani and David Coltart for Bulawayo South.
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