Zimbabwe Information Center in N

By Stanford G. Mukasa

Letter from America

July 23, 2007

Things fall apart in Zimbabwe: Where is the opposition?

“Things Fall Apart” is the title of a famous novel written in 1958 by the acclaimed Nigerian writer, Chinhua Achebe. In this novel Achebe discussed the conflicts between African and western culture in post colonial Africa.

About 50 years after its publication, the novel’s themes also give a fitting interpretation of the conflicts in Zimbabwe today : democratic governance and transparency against greed, repression, tyranny and degradation of basic human rights which have become characteristic features of Zimbabwe under the Robert Mugabe regime.

While the Mugabe regime has become an extreme case in the way it has misgoverned Zimbabwe, Mugabe is a product of the post colonial pattern in Africa where the leadership developed an appetite for western consumer products and lifestyles, despite their anti western rhetoric. This is substance of the cultural conflicts that Achebe captures so well in his book – the insatiable thirst by Africa’s leadership to acculturate themselves to colonial values that tended to look down on the African cosmos. Mugabe and his top officials live an exaggerated westernized lifestyle. Their level of affluence is aimed at surpassing the westerners themselves.

Many Zimbabweans must have been surprised when they saw former British Prime Minister Tony Blair take a train after he left office. Many presidents in the west do not travel in lavish and extravagant convoys as Mugabe. One observer said he counted as many as 30 vehicles, dozens of police outriders, military vehicles carrying soldiers as well as a helicopter hovering over the Mugabe convoy. And Mugabe traded in his multi million dollar stretch Mercedes Benz for a new generation. This showing off of western exuberance is tragically being practiced at the backs of the impoverished millions of Zimbabweans.

Many people have wondered why African leaders do not rebuke Mugabe over these excesses, especially when he has to deprive Zimbabweans of their democratic and human rights in order to maintain this level of extravagance. The answer is not hard to find. African leaders belong to the same culture of excessive lifestyles.

Historically Mugabe and his fellow African leaders were faced with two choices when they gained the power that ushered in a post colonial state. Either they dismantle all the vestiges of oppression and denial of human rights for the black masses; or allow the repressive system to continue. They chose to let the system used by colonial authorities to continue. They did this not necessarily because they had an agenda to oppress their fellow citizens, but because this was one effective way to perpetuate their rule.

The colonial system of oppression and domination also afforded the new rulers an opportunity to loot the resources of the state. This was the ultimate objective for retaining the iron rule system they inherited from the colonial authorities. A ZANUPF MP reportedly told his MDC counterpart that Mugabe and ZANUPF were very well aware that they would lose free and fair elections. The MP reportedly said ZANUPF would do everything to make sure that the opposition did not gain political power.

The Mugabe regime was effective in perpetuating their rule because of the absence of a strong civil society. This is clearly the case in Zimbabwe . The trade unions under the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, or ZCTU, the students and women organizations have historically been very weak and easily manipulated by the Mugabe regime.

Also lacking for a long time was a strong organization to coordinate the growth and effectiveness of the civil society. The Save Zimbabwe movement was a belated attempt at strengthening the civil society leadership and its formations.

If there is a clear determination on the leadership to take new and bold initiatives to confront Mugabe, Save Zimbabwe can be an effective non violent weapon against Mugabe. The potential for Save Zimbabwe is there. What is needed now is the will power, the resolve by the leaders of the opposition movement to transform Save Zimbabwe coalition into a real force for popular mobilization against Mugabe. Save Zimbabwe must be transformed into a command and operations center for a new onslaught against Mugabe and ZANUPF. So far it appears this coalition has been more of talk shop than anything else.

In mobilizing and coordinating popular resistance against Mugabe Save Zimbabwe must draw upon the strengths of its member organizations and instill rigid standards of operation. So far, Save Zimbabwe has not been effective in taking advantage of the increasingly panicky and irrational Mugabe and ZANUPF. At the time things are falling apart left, right and center in the country as a result of Mugabe’s increasingly demented mind Save Zimbabwe could have harnessed the rising tide of popular anger towards a sustained and systematic civil disobedience campaign.

Instead, the members of Save Zimbabwe have to a large extent operated as if Save Zimbabwe did not exist. Each organization wants to take the center stage whether in issuing press statements or organizing rallies.

What Zimbabwe needs right now, given the fast deterioration of the state of affairs in the country, is to let Save Zimbabwe play a leading role in the new push against Mugabe. When ZANU and ZAPU formed a common front, the Patriotic Front, Joshua Nkomo, ZAPU leader always stressed the Patriotic Front agenda rather than that of ZAPU. He was hoping that this would give impetus to the combined operations of the two guerrilla movements in the final political agitation against the Ian Smith regime. It was only after there was a clear and irreversible progress toward elections based on one man one vote that ZANUPF decided to campaign separately.

By the same token the Save Zimbabwe must now be the flagship of the opposition politics in Zimbabwe. Whatever individual political parties do this must advance the agenda for Save Zimbabwe. As things stand now the formation of Save Zimbabwe was a progressive act in the struggle against Mugabe. Unfortunately there was no follow up to give Save Zimbabwe a real and leading role.

Leaders of political parties and civil society who were behind the formation of Save Zimbabwe need to go back to the drawing boards and reflect critically why this coordinating organization they formed has not been seen to be effective in confronting Mugabe.

For a start, they should begin to identify themselves more as constituent members of Save Zimbabwe and commit themselves to the organization’s program of action and agenda. They should establish a political and action synergy that will ensure that what the leaders of constituent organizations say or do in public or private will strengthen, not undermine, the Save Zimbabwe agenda. All leaders of member parties must sit on the strategy sessions of Save Zimbabwe and must present themselves as such in their dealings with both Zimbabweans and the international community. Let them keep and save their individual party identities for elections. But in the struggle against Mugabe none of the parties can afford the luxury of going it alone against the militarily fortified Mugabe and ZANUPF.

There is a story in Zimbabwe in which a dying old man gave each of his four sons a stick and asked him to break it. Each son broke the stick very easily. Then the old man gave each son a bundle of sticks tied together and challenged him to break the bundle. One by one the man’s sons, much as they tried repeatedly, failed to break the bundle. The old man then looked at his sons and told them if they are divided the enemy can easily break them to submission. But if they are united the enemy will fail. The lesson of this story is obvious in today’s opposition politics in Zimbabwe.

Save Zimbabwe was formed with fanfare last year. It was supposed to represent a new united push against Mugabe. Yet several months down the road this coalition does not seem to be going anywhere. It is hardly mentioned at all. It’s leadership are a lot more involved in promoting their parties’ agendas without building or promoting the strategies of Save Zimbabwe.

This must change if the opposition hopes to confront Mugabe effectively.