Obama mania and SADC bungling

On the ground

Sometimes it is good to watch the world go by before you comment. It is also instructive to touch base with any situation you wish to analyse, so I was happy to get the opportunity to be in Zimbabwe the other weekend and experience first hand the sorry state of affairs.

To my amusement, I discovered that we in the ‘Diaspora’ may be more worried about political events concerning Zimbabwe than those on the ground. They hardly bother to keep track of events, not least because it’s expensive and almost impossible.

Take this example for instance. I wanted to get into an internet café to try doing an article. I was told that for a minimum of 30 minutes in an café, I would need to pay ZWD80,000 cash. Fair enough I said, but on going to the bank, the maximum withdrawal at that time was ZWD50,000. I needed a couple of hours on that queue to get the money. Needless to say, I walked away, grumbling.

On the food front, for those that have the means, the Spar chain and other stores now have all the provisions you may care to buy denominated in foreign currency, at twice or thrice South African prices. A 10kg packet of mealie-meal was going for USD7. A few people with good jobs are being paid in foreign currency or foreign currency denominated goods such as petrol coupons. Some are paid in company shares.

Then of course are the dealers, some of whom I am told have yet to find time to ‘list’ their assets; “They have made it,” – I am told as a matter of fact. Some of these dealers confided in me they wanted the talks stalemate to persist a few more months.. just a few more months, they plead.

I talked to friends that do not know what need is like, they are earning well and can keep afloat. But I also talked to friends living literally by begging, who for the first time in their lives have gone for a day or two without food, until someone came to their rescue. And this is in Harare.

The story in the rural areas was a bit grimmer. The usual aid was not flowing and therefore putting together a descent meal is a challenge. You are no longer ‘offered’ a meal, ‘tikubikireika sadza?’. The harvest was generally poor and the hacha and zhanje trees have suddenly become critical to the survival of the rural population. Anybody who lets loose their animals such that they get the fruit humans so desperately need is hauled before the village court where the fine is at least a goat.

Obama mania

On another note, it was good to watch the Americans elect the first President “of colour”, as they say. The question would be: of what significance would his presidency be to Africa? What I could only think of is; if the allegations generally believed among African leaders that America sponsors rebels like Nkunda in DRC, the late Savimbi in Angola and others to destabilise African countries so as to plunder resources, surely a President of African descent would put a stop to such policies?

Further to that, if that is the belief of African ‘Liberation’ leaders which has seen them block democracy on the assumption that ‘democratic’ leaders would lead to neo-colonialism, surely a president of African descent would not deliberately promote re-colonisation of Africa as a policy of the USA? And as we all know, what America decides, Britain and other allies follow. Could this be the end of the rhetoric by the likes of Mugabe about the ills of the West?

Another thought that crossed my mind was, how long will it take Africa to be ready for a white president? It took America 232 years. Assuming Jesus tarries, with the kind of demonization between fellow black politicians where others claim to be more patriotic than their compatriots, I approximate at least 600 years before a white president stands anywhere in Africa and takes an oath of office.

Begs the question, does Africa deserve the pride and joy they felt at the election of a black man to the US Presidency? Indeed is Africa ready for the possible spin-offs in policy and governance issues likely during Obama’s term of office while it is busy in silly and stupid power games amongst ‘black’ brothers?

“Yes we can!” we all shouted, the not so hidden meaning being, “Yes we can rule dem Whiteys.” Fair and good, the whites will say, let us see how you take advantage of the gilt-edged opportunity. I dare say this momentous occasion finds us not ready as a continent and as a people, from the champions of African Renaissance like old Thabo Mbeki to the least of us.

And the man Obama can speak! He managed to captivate a nation to notch an undisputed victory in a flawless campaign. His leadership is inspirational, maybe too much so. It had a few men of the cloth I know scramble for their bibles to check if at all he could be the Antichrist! Their consternation was premised on the charisma of the man, whom some claim is the only US president whose victory was celebrated world over, even by terrorists! Nevertheless, everyone I know is praying for January 20th for the consummation of this historic feat.

I then also made a prediction. If Obama goes on to take office and do his first 4 year term, he will do a second term. After that term, black contenders for the presidency of the USA will become commonplace. Now with the gift of the gab inherent in this race, presidents of color will not end with Obama.

SADC bungles on

Then there was the damp squib of a SADC summit in Sandton, South Africa this last weekend. The outcome was largely predictable, except that the optimists had hoped the ‘new broom’ called Mothlante would impose itself and sweep the SADC house clean. But alas no, as Chairman, I understand he could not even get Mugabe to excuse himself for the deliberations! What weakness is that, please?

Question is, are these talks even worth pursuing? I get the feeling that both sides know the talks have broken down and even should the current impasse be overcome, the absence of goodwill and paradigm shift on the part of Zanu PF surely indicate that an inclusive government is unworkable.

The issue that now remains is who will effectively pull out of these talks. If Zanu PF proceeds to form a government at the behest of its SADC friends, they would be the instigators and carry the relevant condemnation along with their government. Or is SADC prepared to bolster and financially buttress a Zanu PF government? Will they represent it to the International Community for support? If this is their thinking, MDC should dust their feet and say, ‘thank you very much, and goodbye..see you another time’.

The fact of the matter is, the MDC could accept what is on the plate and work, hoping for the best. Hope would be their only ingredient in such a government. Nkomo was given the Ministry of Home Affairs at Independence, in an ‘inclusive government’. As Nkomo found out within two years, controlling Home Affairs Ministry is neither here nor there.

Dissidents were created and arms’ caches ‘discovered’ and coup plots alleged under his watch; and the persecution that followed is a matter of history. Does the ‘training of MDC militias in Botswana since 2002’ sound a familiar plot? It does to me. It would have been a good idea to be far away from security ministries, were the MDC not looking ahead to the next elections.

This tussle for control now makes me doubt the ‘transitional’ nature of this arrangement; I thought there were more important things to be gained in the transition, such as a new constitution, which would ensure a more levelled playing field in the politics of the next few years.

By the very nature of Zanu PF’s double standards, however, any participation in this government will not leave MDC untainted. Already, there are circles that feel MDC are equally intransigent insofar as this agreement remains unfulfilled. Not everyone understands what type of animal Zanu PF is, so some wrongly believe things will eventually work out if the MDC ‘commits’.

Because of a lack of alternatives however, MDC would be harm-strung to manoeuvre. Hanging in the talks should be a strategy to force other outcomes, such as frustrating Zanu PF to the point of going ahead with the formation of a government unilaterally, or going all the way to the UN and forcing the holding of fresh internationally supervised elections. Unless Zanu PF repents and recants its old ways, which is highly unlikely, working with them in any government was always a bad idea that was born out of sheer desperation. It would always be fraught with problems. Politics is a winner takes all game, period.

An avenue which has not been explored which SADC may help with seeing their affinity for erstwhile freedom fighters is to form a fund, domiciled in a neighbouring friendly country such as Mozambique, South Africa or Namibia. They can find a nice name for it that makes them feel good, like Southern African Liberators’ Fund, complete with an acronym ‘SALIF’, and pour in a few million rand therein. They would then invite any of the ruling elite and opposition figures who want to retire permanently from politics to apply to this fund for support.

These individuals, former ministers, army generals, police commissioners and their ilk included would be invited to take up these life pensions on the condition of total retirement from politics and relocation from the countries they persecuted. My logic is that these people are already costing their countries badly; officialising some loot for them would at least have the advantage that the amount is known and somewhat fixed, and the rest of SADC contributes. Further, their movements are monitored, very much like a leper colony. Sooner than later, they will die out anyhow.

Another few years and we will be free of these leeches that moonlight as liberators when they are oppressors of the worst kind. A new crop of progressive, democratic leaders is surely rising and taking root.

Patrick Huni is a political commentator based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Read his blog at http://pathun.blat.co.za

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Posted by Patrick Huni on November 16, 2008. Filed under Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.