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Mar. 30, 2007 When Ian Smith was lording it over former Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) Comrade Robert Mugabe was one of the fiercest critics of the 'colonial' regime launching fierce resistance and engaging the white government on a liberation war for independence. Nigeria played a significant role in the protracted struggle to free Rhodesia from the shackles of South African-like apartheid in a smaller scale. In the end Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980 and Robert Mugabe,the liberation hero became president of the country. Those who fought alongside Mugabe in the freedom-fighting efforts like late Joseph Nkomo had died with Mugabe persecuting and hounding them to their deaths or into exile. One of the best widely respected writers in Zimbabwe Tsvangirai Hove has been so hounded into exile in Norway. Today Mugabe is Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe is Mugabe; he's the law, the judge; the security and the legislature. If he wakes up in the morning and his mood is bad he could ask for one's head on a platter! And before one could spell M-u-g-a-b-e one's head is chopped off by the security forces at his beck and call if only to make the old dictator happy. He has become a monster who sees Zimbabwean presidency as his birthright! He once told Prime Minister Tony Blair during the land re-distribution diplomatic row with Britain blunty to keep his England while he be allowed to keep his Zimbabwe. Whenever Robert Mugabe speaks publicly one sees the clear arrogance and braggadacio of an Octogenerean whose betrayal of power intoxication is palpable. Mugabe does not give a damn about the growing economic hardships, characterised by spiralling inflation of more than 1,700 percent in his country. Mugabe blames the West especially Britain for every of his country's problems yet we all know that the moment he gets out of the way Zimbabwe will recover from the 'Mugabe malaise'. The Mugabe muddle is an African barbaric tragedy; here's a classical example of a national leader cum dictator that has squandered every political and economic fortunes of his country from every yardstick one uses to evaluate it. His cargo of mischief is beyond scaling! The suppression of the freedom of opinion and of assembly, as well as of other fundamental rights in Zimbabwe has reached alarming proportions challenging those nations with the wherewithal to act to do something before Zimbabwe is plunged into a civil war whose consequencies will see the possible demise of the country. Robert Mugabe even in his eighties still maintains tight control of things disallowing anything or anybody that will in any way threaten his hold on the levers of power; his is a tragic tale of a seemingly demented despot at war with the outside world. Mugabe who reportedly eats paw-paw for breakfast and exercises regularly is a good example of how not to rule a people desirous of joining others in an age of technology when peoples all around the world are breaking down the frontiers of ignorance, subjugation and forces against change and social transformation. During the land re-distribution crisis Mugabe and his thugs unleashed series of attacks on whites and their lands; though one supported land re-distribution (because the colonial injustice as it concerns land acquisition ought to be reversed) the way and manner Mugabe played populist politics with a supposedly worthy exercise left much to be desired. Trouble started weeks back for Tsvangirai and his MDC supporters when they reportedly defied a police ban and attended a prayer meeting. The law enforcement agents acting like zombies descended heavily on the opposition leader and his followers beating them black and blue. When Tsvangirai appeared in court he caught a pitiful sight having been battered and bruised with stitches on his head and eye swollen. Comrade Tsvangirai, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader has suffered enormous pain, humiliation and oppression in the hands of Mugabe and his state forces of coercion. But the man has remained unbowed believing that victory is certain. Victory may soon come his way because God does not give victory to those who play Him. Ultimate triumph belongs to the people of Zimbabwe and when it finally comes perhaps Mugabe will be forced to leave town and die in exile like Mobutu Sese Seko or Idi Amin Dada. Or who knows the cold hands of death may snatch him away and send him to the dark abode of hell where his fellow oppressors like Sani Abacha, Adolphus Hitler, Sese-Seko, Amin, Eyadema and many others are gnashing their teeth and regretting why and how they did what they did while deluding themselves of living in paradise on earth. Morgan Tsvangirai, in a telephone interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) after his ordeal had said: "Things are bad but I think this crisis has reached a tipping point and we could be seeing the beginning of the end of this dictatorship" Of course the dictatorship is bound to end someday. South Africa's Anglican Archbishop, Desmond Tutu denounced the attitude by African leaders towards President Robert Mugabe, saying they should instead be ashamed of police repression on opposition leadership in the country. On a visit to Mauritius Archbishop Tutu who played a significant role in South Africa's reconciliation efforts after Apartheid crumbled reasoned that: "Some of them talked about (Zimbabwe's) sovereignty. We argue to the contrary. There are scandalous things happening in this country. He (President Mugabe) was a leader I was so proud of. It's just like a nightmare for me now, and I am waiting to be pulled out of it and told that's not the same Mugabe who had led the movement to liberate his nation, and who had supported liberation movements of other countries." Though the African Union through it's Chief Alpha Konare has condemned in strong words the Mugabe muddle in Zimbabwe it's not enough to condemn Mugabe; concrete actions need to be initiated to send home a strong message to the dictator: tolerate dissent and the opposition or be santioned. The role Presidents Thabo Mbeki and Olusegun Obasanjo are playing in the Zimbabwean crisis is ambiguous and questionable. Mbeki who is in a better position to call Mugabe to order has remained silent preferring to use diplomacy to channel his 'advices' to the veteran leader. The problem is that these leaders are respecting Mugabe for his old age and freedom-fighting antecedents. But the Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa had begged to disagree. Speaking from Sam Nujoma's Namibia last week the man who replaced Chiluba said: "Quiet diplomacy has failed to help solve the political chaos and economic meltdown in Zimbabwe, as I speak right now, one SADC country has sunk into such economic difficulties that it may be likened to a sinking Titanic whose passengers are jumping out in a bid to save their lives." Mugabe who has indicated his intentions never to retire soon in politics has so much personalised power in his country that culture of silence and impunity pervades the entire landscape. The fear of Mugabe and his security goons becomes the beginning of street wisdom in Harare, Bulawayo and elsewhere in Zimbabwe. As Tsvangirai carries his huge (opposition) cross with dignified stoicism he should accept my sympathy; I beg to remind him however what Nelson Mandela said in his book "No Easy Walk To Freedom". Madiba opined therein that the road to freedom is strewn with thorns, twists and turns. Mandela it was who equally declared that he is the master of his destiny and captain of his soul! Tsvangirai must know for sure that Mugabe is not the master of Zimbabwean destiny neither can he lay claim to the captainship of her soul. Aluta Continua! ------------ About the author: Sunny Chris Okenwa is a U-K contributor based in Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire. Email: soco_abj_2006_rci@hotmail.fr Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com. Please link to this article rather than copying and pasting it onto your site (which would be unauthorized and illegal). |
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