High expectations that South African President Jacob Zuma would use his influence as the chairman of the Southern African Development Community “to unlock a political deadlock that continues to haunt Zimbabwe’s six month old unity government” were dashed when Zuma flew out of Harare headed for home on Friday evening with no indication that anything of note had been achieved.
Like all other presidents on the African continent, Zuma used diplomatic language to camouflage a failure and a reluctance to confront Mugabe.
No one doubts that South Africa is one country that can force Mugabe to listen and behave himself.
Zuma repeated the worn out but untrue mantra that the three protagonists, who he called former rivals, “were agreed on the urgency of resolving their differences”.
Apart from opening the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show, all Zuma achieved was to invite the three Zimbabwean leaders to next month’s SADC Summit in the DRC and hope that the Community will, once again, arm twist or hammer out some sort of compromise.
“We discussed the critical issues relating to the implementation. The parties are in agreement on the need to speed up implementation and to find solutions to the current points of disagreement,” Zuma said. “The important factor is that there is commitment amongst all parties, which will make the movement forward possible.”
You would think Zuma does not know Mugabe well enough!
Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change are at loggerheads over the issues concerning the unilateral re-appointment of the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, Gideon Gono, and the appointment of Attorney general, Johannes Tomana.
The MDC says the appointments were made outside the parameters of the Global Political Agreement and should, therefore, be rescinded.
Mugabe, on the other hand, refuses and stands by his appointed officials saying he and his party had made enough concessions.
They then turned the tables on the MDC, saying that the MDC must also play its part.
“The GPA has been there in the past six months,” Zanu-PF deputy secretary of Information and Publicity, Ephraim Masawi, told journalists last week. “Nothing has been done to address the central question of the removal of the illegal sanctions against Zimbabwe and Zanu-PF.”
Mugabe and his party accuse Tsvangirai of failing to influence “his western friends” to lift sanctions imposed on Mugabe and his lieutenants.
They are also saying that the MDC “is not doing enough to ask the foreign media to tone down its harsh reportage on the Zanu-PF leadership”.
“The vilification of Zanu-PF and its leaders by special targeted broadcasts continues on a daily basis unabated,” said Masawi. “The MDC, which urged its international supporters to impose the illegal sanctions, has the sole responsibility to ensure that its international supporters remove the sanctions forthwith. The implementation of the GPA cannot be a one-sided affair.”
And a few days before Zuma jetted into Zimbabwe, Zanu-PF Secretary for Administration and staunch Mugabe ally, Didymus Mutasa, said that Zimbabweans should not be fooled into believing “that power in the current inclusive government was meant to be shared equally between President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai”, adding that Mugabe “is the one who tells all of us, including the Prime Minister, what should be done”.
Government of national unity, indeed!
Other contentious issues include the MDC’s demand that Mugabe swears in its officials to take up provincial governorship posts currently occupied by Zanu-PF loyalists, the swearing in of its national treasurer Roy Bennett as deputy Minister of Agriculture, and an end to fresh farm invasions and the continued arrest of its officials on trumped up charges.
But Zuma said he was encouraged by the performance of the inclusive government.
It is astonishing how African presidents have a tendency to ignore bushfires while they battle to extinguish a flame on a candle stick.
I cannot, for the life of me, believe that Zuma, with all the intelligence services at his disposal, is not aware of the chicanery and delaying tactics employed by Mugabe, especially considering that the so-called government of national unity was born out of an imperfect arrangement, where the contenders were literally forced to work together.
I don’t believe the Zumas of Africa don’t see the hopelessness that imbues the lives of Zimbabweans whose only wish is to be left alone to rebuild their lives and care for their families.
South Africa and SADC have done the Zimbabwean people a great deal of disservice and their continuing to toy around with such a debilitating situation is very unfortunate, to say the least.
Jacob Zuma’s trip to Zimbabwe and his subsequent utterances, or lack thereof, only galvanized Mugabe and his party, but ridiculed those who are honest in this undertaking and those who still suffer under ZANU-PF, as can be evidenced by the continued farm invasions and violence against innocent people.
If such serious things are not apparent to a president of one of Africa’s model democracies, then Africa will continue to wallow in misery and directionless leadership. Who will stand to point the right direction the continent should take? Muammur Gaddafi?
It is disappointing to have such things thrust on an expectant people who honestly had hoped that Zuma would be firm with Mugabe, a man who has distinguished himself in the destruction of a nation and the ill-treatment of innocent citizens.
Accommodating murderous presidents ought to be a thing of the past.
Zimbabweans had hoped for better consideration from Mr Zuma because even the MDC itself is not safe from the rampaging lawless ZANU-PF operatives.
Zuma must change tactic and be much more firm with Mugabe for the emancipation of the people and justice.
It’s not only about Zimbabweans; it is about South Africa, Botswana, SADC and the entire continent.
African presidents must learn to turn new pages.
