October 19, 2007
18 October 2007
opinion
Robert Gabriel Mugabe has afforded himself the headlines since his controversial decision to seize white owned farms and hand them over to indigenous Zimbabweans in 2002.
Mugabe's decision, in retrospect, is not any more controversial than Idi Amin's expulsion of British Asians in his 1972 "economic war".
Widely condemned then by imperialists and their agents, Ugandans now praise Amin for the courage he exhibited in putting the economy in indigenous hands, an event that would change Uganda's economic landscape forever.
Mugabe too has invited the wrath of Britain, Zimbabwe's former colonial master. And also, the full cooperation of the 'free world' in a relentless Mugabe vilification campaign. Which would be alright, had sanctions against his country not caused a 6,6000% inflation rate and endemic shortages of basic necessities, unemployment and unprecedented flight of persons in search of better life across borders, especially into South Africa.
Mugabe's Zimbabwe epitomises what can really go wrong in a post colonial state - stunted democracy, one man rule, cronyism and blatant abuse of human and people rights, fathomable only by the victims. And the insatiable desire of one man, to keep in power at any cost. Yet, Africa has conspired to stand by Mugabe.
All efforts by the West to urge African leaders led by South Africa to pressure the Zimbabwean leader have come to naught. The problem could lie more in history than in politics. South Africa, barely recovering from the bane of apartheid doesn't seem to find allocating white owned farms to black people such a despicable action. So, Mbeki, whereas desirous of the best for Zimbabwe, seems to agree that Britain is giving the wrong reasons for wanting Mugabe out.
To South Africa, Mugabe is one of those heroes of the liberation struggle to whom the present post apartheid rulers of Africa's strongest economy shall forever be grateful. Tanzania's Jakaya Kikwete last week joined others in publicly supporting Mugabe and urging the so-called developed world to show some respect to the octogenarian leader.
There is a more mundane problem though. The European Union that should have been at the forefront of seeing Mugabe's exit is sharply divided on how to deal with him.
Zimbabwe remains a British problem, not an EU concern. Which should explain why some EU member states find Gordon Brown's threat to boycott the December 8-9 2007 EU-Africa summit if Mugabe was invited, unreasonable. Other EU members view Zimbabwe as a historic colonial mistake that they didn't help to create.
Most think that the EU can engage Mugabe in useful talks, if for no other reason, for the " Euro- sense" it makes to do so. Speaking in Johannesburg last week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in what is widely believed to be a slap in Gordon Brown's face, announced that she would go to the EU-Africa summit even if Mugabe was invited.
African leaders had earlier countered Brown's threat with their own - they would not come without Mugabe- meaning there won't be an EU-Africa summit come December. So there won't be security for the 200 billion Euros a year trade between the EU and Africa (2006 figures).
I find Robert Mugabe a selfish individual who has caused untold suffering for his people by refusing to quit at the right time, as if he were the only child of the revolution. The EU finds Britain selfish by acting in a way that would hurt business for the whole block, just because it has found itself with a stubborn former colonial subject.
At the UN's 62nd General Assembly the other week, in one of his most prolific speeches ever made out of Africa, Mugabe rallied the continent against what he called the injustices of the so- called developed world. He in effect spoke for the whole of the developing fraternity struggling with an unjust economic order, who are too afraid to annoy the "donor".
The problem for Britain in Mugabe is that he is not Idi Amin. He is terrible, yes, but can say uncomfortably true things so intelligently. He could cause a revolt half way the world.
If other speeches from South America and Iran are to go by, I think the world is at the brink of a re-think. The developed world is losing the moral ground to bulldoze Africa into choices.
All eyes are, however, on the opposition in Zimbabwe. And here lies another tragedy. By identifying with the former colonial masters in the otherwise noble "project Mugabe out", Zim's opposition fails to sufficiently excite the discerning "Afrikanists" who have learned to despise neo-colonialism.
The idea of African opposition politicians taking their cases to western capitals, receiving red carpet welcomes, taking care not to sound incorrect, in the anticipated exchange for future patronage is steadily going out of fashion. It is this, that is perhaps making Africa rather stand with her worst: men like Mugabe who have no respect for human rights and who think they are more important than the very nations they claim to lead.
While Mugabe has split the EU, he has united Africa's spirit for true economic independence.
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