Posted on 04/21/2002 3:10:26 AM PDT by Clive
ROBERT Mugabe will soon discover, if he has not already done so, that it was a lot easier for him to steal the March poll than to transform such tainted "victory" into a useful and credible presidency.
Had he stolen the election 15 years ago the rest of the world would have turned a blind eye, sighed with exasperation and dismissed the event as yet another African country hurtling down the path to self-destruction. Unfortunately for Mugabe and fortunately for Zimbabwe, the world has moved on and now refuses to endorse electoral fraud.
It must be pointed out to Mugabe that Zimbabwe is not just another failed African state. This is a country where civic awareness is relatively high. In June 2000 the people of Zimbabwe demonstrated their faith in the electoral process by voting 58 opposition candidates into parliament. It is common knowledge that Zanu PF would have lost the June 2000 parliamentary poll had it not resorted to its characteristic abuse of the electorate by employing savage violence.
Subsequent to the June 2000 poll, the electorate has voted five opposition mayors into power. The opposition has also captured 64 urban and rural council seats. The opposition enjoys massive support countrywide as evidenced by Registrar-General Tobaiwa Mudede's own disputed presidential poll figures.
In the face of a stubborn and credible opposition Mugabe cannot successfully employ the same tactics he has used in the past to destroy opposition parties. This one is synonymous with the people of Zimbabwe and is therefore indestructible.
Fifteen years ago, when Mugabe was still considered a hero, he could have counted on many countries to voluntarily rally to his cause. Now he is reduced to blackmailing some African states into endorsing his neurotic leadership.
They do this to cover up their own shame and embarrassment because when your fellow black brother or sister behaves as abominably as Mugabe has done, the immediate reaction is to cover up in the face of fierce external condemnation.
There is this strange perception in Africa that as soon as non-black people condemn a black leader's behaviour, there should be a show of solidarity by other blacks. How about universal principles that bind together our collective humanity regardless of colour?
When a black leader bankrupts his country by pursuing foolish policies he/she must be condemned.
When a black leader visits untold misery on his/her people he/she should be condemned.
When a black leader creates conditions in the country that diminish the sanctity of human life such a leader should be condemned.
And when a leader brazenly steals an election the rest of decent humanity should condemn the leader and the theft.
Mugabe is facing unreserved condemnation from all those who respect human dignity because what he has done humiliates black people who have been treated badly by both colonialism and slavery.
If the outcome of an election is to be predetermined by placing all manner of impediments in the electoral process why bother holding them? The sovereignty of a people is expressed through the ballot box. Mugabe cannot determine for Zimbabweans what constitutes sovereignty.
His anti-imperialist stance cannot hide the fact that in his 22 years of uninterrupted stewardship of the country, Zimbabweans have become poorer, less free and subjected to untold human rights abuses. At 78 Mugabe crowns his life by stealing an election. What a legacy to bequeath to one's children and country!
There is lot of speculation about why South Africans decided to endorse a poll result that they would have found totally unacceptable in their own country.
One theory is that South African intelligence was alarmed by Zanu PF's capacity for violent reaction if it lost the election. On the other hand it was concluded that even if robbed of victory, the MDC did not possess the capacity to destroy the country. Expediency then took over for the South Africans.
The other thoroughly canvassed theory is that South Africa is obsessed with a war of liberation psychosis and believes blindly that a murderous, incompetent, corrupt and destructive party such as Zanu PF should be forgiven anything because it participated in the liberation struggle.
The other rather bizarre theory is that Thabo Mbeki needs a Mugabe for his presidency to approximate that of Nelson Mandela.
Whatever the motivation, South Africa has betrayed the many years of struggle for justice that her own people embarked upon. The interim report of the Southern African observer mission is a shameful document that does a disservice to such a great people and a great country.
Contrary to the self-serving statements by Zanu PF that their victory is legitimate because African states endorsed the poll, the more important issue is that church organisations, non-governmental institutions and other indigenous bodies within Zimbabwe have condemned the result of the poll and have not endorsed Mugabe's "victory".
These are courageous voices whose moral authority and standing far surpass that of compromised African leaders who believe they owe their brother a favour which he might return when they in turn steal an election.
The agony of thousands of rural Zimbabweans who are being beaten, maimed, raped and killed because they are perceived to have voted for the MDC cannot be assuaged by the South African observer mission's asinine observation that there was too much Western interest in Zimbabwe.
Paul Themba Nyathi is the MDC's elections director. Next week he examines the steps needed to restore electoral credibility.
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I'm in the process of sending a mass email to a pile of papers & opinionators- maybe some of them will look further into this.....
***In the face of a stubborn and credible opposition Mugabe cannot successfully employ the same tactics he has used in the past to destroy opposition parties. This one is synonymous with the people of Zimbabwe and is therefore indestructible. Fifteen years ago, when Mugabe was still considered a hero, he could have counted on many countries to voluntarily rally to his cause. Now he is reduced to blackmailing some African states into endorsing his neurotic leadership.
They do this to cover up their own shame and embarrassment because when your fellow black brother or sister behaves as abominably as Mugabe has done, the immediate reaction is to cover up in the face of fierce external condemnation. There is this strange perception in Africa that as soon as non-black people condemn a black leader's behaviour, there should be a show of solidarity by other blacks. How about universal principles that bind together our collective humanity regardless of colour? When a black leader bankrupts his country by pursuing foolish policies he/she must be condemned.***
BUMP!
...and when that doesn't work the sovereignty of a people is expressed through the bullet box
Where are you, Martin King, when we need you?
Why, them shukkin' and jivin' shake-down poverty pimps have even killed your dream.
The fall harvest has failed.
The southern hemisphere winter (dry season in Zimbabwe) about to begin.
Between a new El Niño, the farm invasions, and a thoroughly misguided effort on the part of Agriculture Minister Made to divert much of the winter crop from the conventional wheat to a winter maize crop, the winter harvest will be a disaster.
Zim is tropical but modified by altitude. Winter night temperatures in the high veldt can go below the freezing point.
Winter maize would require hybrids tailored for the low veldt (the high veldt is simply not on for winter maize) which hybrids do not exist.
Maize takes longer to mature than wheat and is less hardy.
There is a good probability that a winter maize crop will still be standing when time comes for next spring's planting.
Meanwhile, Made's plans would involve taking about 2/3 of the low veldt out of winter wheat production.
Slavery the all purpose excuse for any failure by Africian-Americian-Africians.
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