The Daily News (Harare)
14 May 2002
editorial
PRESIDENT Mugabe ignored the crisis in his own country and flew off to the United Nations in New York just to cock a snook at his domestic and international detractors.
Probably spurred by a desire to notch another success as the African president with the most political machismo, Mugabe left the country as his own Minister of Finance and Economic Development warned of a deepening economic, political and social crisis compounded by a looming food shortage of staggering proportions.
It would seem that massaging his own political ego is much more vital to the President than the prospect of facing head-on the problems his government has created for the last 22 years.
The conference on children at the UN was important in its own way, but not for a head of state whose country has not recovered from the political fall-out of an election condemned as woefully flawed by everybody not particularly starry-eyed about the false glory of "regaining our heritage" - the violence-riddled land reform programme.
Only those misguided by the government propaganda of righting the wrongs of the past could believe that killing farmers, their workers and other innocent people could constitute a noble move to "return the land to the people", rather than a violent campaign to boost the sagging political fortunes of a party on its last legs.
Even at the UN, Mugabe managed to drag to the world forum his war with the past - blaming his 22 years of failure on the white minority. After the end of colonialism in 1980, he and his government were expected to chart a new, democratic, non-racial course for all the people - and not just those who prayed at the shrine of his political party, with its blood-spattered past.
By the year 2000, the people had recognised that the Zanu PF cockerel would not shed its feathers. It would peck and peck at them with violence and would not waste time or money improving their material status as long as it had to fund its own survival.
Those listening to Mugabe's speech at the UN must have felt a little sorry for the man. There he was, standing proud and erect before the world forum, pretending that he had won a free and fair election, pretending that two of the most powerful African leaders had not forced him into a dialogue with the opposition party they seem to believe won the 9-11 March election.
Just as one swallow does not make a summer, Mugabe's one trip to New York, in spite of the US-imposed sanctions, will not change much. Millions of people, mostly children, may still face death from starvation.
The political crisis continues, with his party suspending the talks with the MDC because of their legal challenge to Mugabe's election victory.
Nothing is said about his government's court case against the MDC leaders for treason on the basis of a videotape most experts believe ought to be treated with suspicion.
The violence against MDC activists continues in the rural areas. There are even occasional reports of opposition officials in the urban areas being bashed by Zanu PF youths and war veterans. The party whose leader boasted "we have many degrees in violence", seems determined to live up to its reputation.
Clearly, the country is by no means at peace. The government campaign against the independent Press continues unabated. In fact, the latest declaration by the junior minister of information and publicity brings in a new element.
Zanu PF, which gets an annual allowance from taxpayers through the Political Parties (Finance) Act, intends to use that money to sue the media both here and abroad.
People are entitled to protest at this unconscionable extravagance. This party has done so little to deserve the taxpayers' largesse, it doesn't even rate a sausage from them.
Some might even say the people ought to sue the party for dereliction of duty.
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