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Zimbabwe |
PERSONALITIES
President Mugabe has never made any secret
of the fact that he is a one-party-state
disciple
«We have many degrees in violence.» said President Robert Mugabe two years ago as he launched his campaign for the parliamentary and presidential polls. Backed by the lyrics in one of his Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party songs: «ZANU-PF is for blood», it appears Mr Mugabe’s mission is being accomplished.
It also seems many analysts failed to predict and grasp the fruition of Mr Mugabe’s outbursts in the early 1980s when as Prime Minister he declared: «I am a one-party-state disciple». It never crossed the minds of many ordinary Zimbabweans when nursing their wounds sustained during the liberation war, that the country would slide out of the frying pan into the fire.
His leadership style often laced with violent remarks in the pre-and post-election periods, mesmerised many Zimbabweans tired of war. His charisma hoodwinked them and forced them to suspend the idea of ousting their educated leader.
However, some of his lieutenants were not impressed. Mr Mugabe started by sacking his party third-in-command, Mr Edgar Tekere from his cabinet. Mr Takere had dared to question the morality of the President’s plan to massacre 20,000 people in Western Zimbabwe for being critical of his government. Mr Tekere was eventually ejected from ZANU-PF in 1989. Zimbabwe’s political scenario was at that time a virtual one-party state system, until Mr Tekere formed his Zimbabwe Unity Movement (ZUM) in 1989 before the 1990 elections. (ZUM is now defunct).
Admirers abroad
Inspite of the overwhelming dislike of Mr Mugabe’s «course rhetoric» at home, it appears instead of losing friends, the former guerilla leader is gaining more admirers in Africa. The main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has the majority support, but lacks unwavering and courageous sympathizers in Africa as a whole.
It is common knowledge among political analysts in Zimbabwe, that African leaders are attracted by Zimbabwe’s land reforms, as long as the emphasis is on displacing the white minority accused of having stolen land from the blacks many years ago. African leaders do not seem to be convinced there is lawlessness in Zimbabwe and that Zimbabwe’s citizens are crying out for change.
Most of the evicted commercial farmers are leaving the land together with their labourers who have no other means of eking out a living. But it is perhaps not known that many of these labourers are of Mozambican, Zambian and Malawian origin. So what price pan-Africanism among Zimbabwe’s leaders?
There is mounting evidence in Zimbabwe of the worsening poverty among the country’s majority black population. Yet, other African leaders continue to applaud him. Commenting on Mugabe’s outburst against British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the Johannesburg Earth Summit, the MDC‘s Mr Tendai Biti commented: «It hit me that people were clapping their hands. It shocked me, especially after what he’d said during his speech». And a senior African diplomat was disappointed: «It looks like nothing has changed. One had hoped there might be some reconciliation, but this shows the administration in Harare is digging in, hardening its position».
Political analysts say that as long as Mr Mugabe feels threatened by the MDC leader, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai’s popularity, the President is likely to intensify his venomous outbursts, and violence will continue unabated in Zimbabwe.
There are signs the targeted sanctions imposed by the European Union are beginning to hurt Zimbabwe, but it appears the President will continue his outbursts until his energy and support run out.
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