In Zimbabwe small kids
have lost respect for Mr Mugabe, calling someone MUGABE is now an insult in
Zimbabwe, thats how low Mr Mugabe`s popularity is. Every time Zanu PF puffs itself
up into a big bubble of self-importance, he comes along and bursts it, thats Khama we are talking about. He was
at it again in Maputo last weekend. While President Robert Mugabe was
reportedly keeping other heads of state waiting while he had a tête-à-tête with
Namibia’s President, Hifikepunye Pohamba, Khama, a retired general close to
Zanu PF leaders, took the opportunity to comment on Zimbabwe’s securocrats. He
asked why people were still talking endlessly about a “bush war” that ended 33
years ago. It is easy to answer that. Mugabe is able to project himself as the
authentic voice of African nationalism. It may not be a valid claim 33 years
after Independence, but it makes him feel good. Mugabe went on and on about
history before Khama came in. “Khama asked why people were still talking about
a bush war that ended 33 years ago,” an observer said. “He pointed out that
when the liberation war was fought it was not against the MDCs.” Such nostalgic
rhetoric was misplaced, the observer said, reflecting a general sentiment back
home.
Securocrats
MDC-T
secretary-general Tendai Biti reported after the meeting that the summit had
“underscored the obligation of our security chiefs to respect the constitution
and issued a statement complying with Article 208 of the new constitution which
speaks to the neutrality of our security forces, that they cannot be active
members of any political party and that they will respect, salute and obey any
legitimate constitutional order”. Not exactly what the Herald has been telling
us in its damage control exercise!
Observers
in Maputo were full of praise for the man from Wales. He dazzled the meeting
with his magisterial command of the issues. When the MDC-T officials emerged
they were generous in their praise. And poor King Arthur was confined to the
leader pages of the local Izvestia, which sadly nobody reads! Some went on to
call him a village idiot and those who were discrete called him political dwarf
with delusions of eloquence. The man might know one or two things about robots,
but when it comes to politics, certainly, the man is still to produce something
someone can take home.
Meanwhile,
we were shocked to see police recruits openly declaring their allegiance to
Mugabe. They wished him a “resounding success” in the forthcoming elections.
“We celebrate your
life and leadership as you are the practical definition of a revolutionary
cadre,” they chirruped. “Your call for Pan-Africanism should invigorate other
African leaders to be united and support each other …” This was a far cry from
Maputo where heads of state demonstrated impatience with Mugabe’s
blandishments. And are any of those present at Morris Depot aware of how many
votes the Zanu PF-supported PAC got in the 1994 South African election? It was
the smallest amount for any party. There followed a funny little drama, we were
told, in which two fighters wearing British and US outfits engaged in combat
with a third party purporting to be Mugabe. He put up a spirited fight before a
sympathiser, Russia, came in to assist and vanquish the Westerners. After the
victory “children” were served with milk representing the milk and honey of
Mugabe’s rule. No, seriously! Ushers wore Zanu PF regalia. Observers say that
senior officers could be seen waving their fists in the air as the recruits
pledged their allegiance to their commander.
Readers’
feedback
The
newly launched Southern Eye has been carrying an interesting range of letters
in its feedback column. On Monday a correspondent made the obvious point in
response to a story titled Hell for gays if Zanu PF wins. This followed Zanu
PF’s promise of new persecutions if it wins the election.
The correspondent
said: “Mugabe should concentrate more on uplifting Zimbabweans suffering from
the harsh economic conditions which he and his party gave rise to and deal with
the massive corruption in the Zimbabwean economy.” This is all true, but we
shouldn’t forget just how much Zanu PF and its allies among the Biblical bigots
just love persecuting people.
Dysfunctional
party
The
Sunday Mail carried a story last weekend about a snake handler who had passed
his skill down through the generations. His father was a snake handler as was
his grandfather. His experience had made him the local expert on the reptiles,
the story said. He was confident his understudies would be successful. “I know
that they will do well,” he said. “Abraham is a natural leader while Amos is a
fearless handler who can tackle and subdue the most aggressive of snakes.” How
interesting. Here is a family that has put in place a succession plan; a simple
family that has taken steps to secure its future. But what do we have at the
national level? A dysfunctional political party that can’t even take the first
tentative steps towards passing on the baton. However, let’s be fair. We do
know of some snakes in the grass which carry a particularly lethal poison, but
do not belong to the same family.
We
were interested to see a picture in the Sunday Mail of Zimpapers group chief
executive Justin Mutasa chatting with Dr Nyaradzo Mtizira at the launch of his
book, The Regime Change Agenda — Focus on Zimbabwe, authored by the
Botswana-based medical practitioner. The book focuses on the country’s
socio-economic revolution and the West’s “rabid attempt to protect its
interests in resource-rich Zimbabwe through local Trojan horses”. Strange, we
haven’t heard of the doctor or his interest in regime change. And we thought
the Trojan horse was Greek! He seems to have come out of the election woodwork.
Here is another expatriate who prefers the comfortable life abroad to the
growing dereliction at home wrought by his friends in Zanu PF. We wonder if he
knows Reason who just can’t tear himself away from Australia!
Did
we hear Mugabe saying some years ago he would not appoint as ministers
individuals who had not been elected to parliament? Well, he said it again, if
Muckraker heard right, just the other day. That would be a good question to ask
the president at a press conference: “Do you recall the undertaking you made
…?” Some of the perennial losers that have expressed an interest in taking part
in the election,” Southern Eye reports, “are Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, Absolom
Sikhosana and Joseph Tshuma.” Our question is: how many times are they allowed
to lose and still be taken seriously? Sikhanyiso: that one’s for you.
And
a note to our friend Munyaradzi Huni. If Sir Ketumile Masire carried a
knighthood, then his wife would be Lady Masire and not Mrs Masire. And while it
is good to see Botswana and Zimbabwe getting on so well, have we forgotten so
quickly how fraught relations were when Tsvangirai was staying in Gaborone in
2008? And then wasn’t there something about a transmitter relay station at
Fransistown? Has that gone away? While it is not the function of journalists to
stir things up, they shouldn’t at least be so naïve. We are sure our Botswana
expert Cde Caesar agrees with us on this!
Another
example of naïvety was evident from Baffour Ankomah, editor of New African, a
mouthpiece for Mugabe. Andrew Young, the magazine reported, “had confirmed the
White House’s official remorse to President Mugabe admitting that the US had
been wrong in supporting Britain in the dispute with Britain over land reform”.
Really? It is true that Young has in the past adopted a pro-Zanu PF position in
his dealing with the Zimbabwe authorities. But it is extremely doubtful that he
would have expressed the White House’s “official remorse”. In fact, we have a
pretty good idea where that came from. The same official who facilitated
Young’s visit.
Last
week we carried a snippet claiming the Hartley Platinum Mine road just outside
Chegutu cost US$15 million to construct. The acting chair of Zimplats Holdings
Ltd, the Zimplats parent company, said he would like to set the record straight
“for the benefit of numerous faithful readers of the popular Muckraker column”.
The Ngezi-Mhondoro highway is in fact 77km long and the cost was US$19 million
in 2001, he said. We stand corrected.
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