Posted on 02/19/2003 9:25:03 PM PST by Clive
THE letter in which Nigerian President Olesegun Obasanjo outlines the situation in Zimbabwe to fellow Commonwealth troika member, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, has outraged Zimbabweans who have been hit by the policies of the ruling ZANU PF.
Having gone through the letter myself, I can only conclude that it is an insult to the people who are suffering at the hands of the regime Obasanjo seems so keen to defend.
The contents of the letter and the reality of the situation in Zimbabwe are like day and night and have quite frankly left me breathless.
I am a proud African who wants to see a new culture of leadership emerging in this so-called “Dark Continent”.
But leaders such as Obasanjo and President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, if their approach to the Zimbabwe crisis is anything to go by, are unlikely to be the statesmen who will spearhead the emergence of this new political culture.
If Obasanjo’s letter is used as the basis for decisions that could affect the resolution of the Zimbabwe crisis, then God help us.
That Mbeki, the leader of the region’s economic giant, is reportedly supportive of the contents of the missive speaks volume about the leadership in Africa, especially this side of the continent.
No wonder Africa is a basket case.
If we can’t deal with the relatively simple issues in Zimbabwe, how can the continent expect to tackle the more complex realities of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Ivory Coast, Uganda and the Sudan?
We will continue to be sidelined by investors and donors because we are unable to say enough is enough, we will no longer tolerate anarchy and take the necessary steps to deal with the situation.
The continent will remain a basket case as long the likes of Mbeki and Obasanjo are regarded as the torchbearers of the so-called “African Renaissance.”
I have always argued that Mbeki as a leader is over-rated and that Zimbabweans expect too much from him. It seems I have been proved right.
President Robert Mugabe and his cronies maintain that the international community, especially the European Union, takes its decisions on Zimbabwe based on misinformation and are not aware of the situation on the ground.
But that Mbeki, who is one of our closest neighbours, should misread the situation in this country speaks volumes about the kind of help we can expect from that quarter.
If I may ask, where are these changes to the media laws that he keeps harping about?
What political freedoms have been granted to the oppressed people of Zimbabwe?
The Zimbabwean government has been conspicuously silent about the promises it is reported to have made to its allies.
At no time in the past few weeks have the responsible ministries informed the nation that they are considering amending draconian laws to ease repression of the media and the general public.
It seems neither Mbeki nor Obasanjo is seeking solutions to the Zimbabwean crisis. Their main aim seems to be ensuring Mugabe’s continued stay in power.
They have unfortunately become part of the problem, one of the obstacles to the resolution of the economic and political crisis Zimbabwe is battling with.
They seem anxious to maintain their blind solidarity and African brotherhood with Mugabe, unfortunately at the expense of the suffering people of Zimbabwe.
The sooner Zimbabweans accept that they should solve their own problems the better. Clearly none of our neighbours is able or willing to be of assistance in this matter.
I welcome Mbeki’s statement that Zimbabweans should solve their own problems internally and not look to outsiders.
Indeed, waiting for him to take decisive steps that will help to resolve the crisis is like waiting for Halley’s Comet to return in our lifetime, a scientific impossibility.
The sooner we realise and admit that we are on our own, the happier and more effective we will be.
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