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Leadership renewal Zimbabwe's only choice
By
Cris
Chogugudza
IT HAS been over a decade now since the West imposed ‘defacto
economic sanctions’ on Zimbabwe.
The basis of these ‘sanctions’ being that the country was fast drifting away from basic fundamentals of democratic governance into the clutches of high level corruption, economic mismanagement, disregard of the rule of law and blatant violation of human rights among other claims.
The specific nature of the above allegations is well known to many fair minded Zimbabweans. Sections of the Zimbabwean society sympathetic to the government deny the above allegations as spurious and a manifestation of the western world’s onslaught on radical African leaders trying to reverse colonial injustices.
To be specific,
the Zanu PF apologists believe that Zimbabwe is being punished for embarking
on the controversial land reform programme. Their argument is that Land
is at the core of the crisis in Zimbabwe and cannot be separated from
other issues of concern such as rule of rule of law, respect for human
rights, democracy and the economy and in their opinion land reform is
therefore paramount towards the resolution of the Zimbabwean problem.
The above argument, whilst seemingly justified, lacks the breath and
depth required to be sufficient as a diagnostic analysis of the situation
in Zimbabwe under Zanu PF leadership. The sceptics and opponents of
the controversial land reform programme are equally vindicated in their
argument that the orderly implementation of the land reform programme
can only be meaningful and sustainable, if carried out with due regard
to human rights, rule of law, transparency and democratic principles.
The commitment and lack of commitment of the regime in Zimbabwe to the
above was and continues to be crucial to the process of land reform.
Some argue that land was the only issue Zanu PF could conveniently exploit
to hoodwink the rural population who are starved of alternative media.
Land reform has been used as an alibi for a deteriorating political
and economic situation which is a result of grotesque economic mismanagement
and an ageing, intransigent, increasingly hysterical and delusional
leadership whose style of governance is uninspiring, inept and characteristically
corrupt. If the recent news about Mugabe seizing a farm is true then
his leadership does not deserve the support of the people of Zimbabwe
. It is not paradoxical that the same man who is making noise about
corruption in government and the corporate sector is the same one encouraging
it.
The corruption and incompetence associated with all Zanu PF commission
-led councils is an indication of the continued decay in Zanu PF leadership
structures. Most of these Zanu PF councils including Harare will soon
be ghost towns and cities as standards are fast plummeting, and no-one,
the Local Government Minister included, has endeavoured to do something
about the rot. If anything, Minister Chombo’s own ministry is
responsible for creating monsters such as Sekesai Makwavarara who is
only obsessed with buying houses in plush areas, purging the likes of
Chideya and fortifying her position as ‘Mayor of Harare’
in the face of a major showdown with angry residents.
| "The current state of events in Zimbabwe point to the fact that there is a growing leadership vacuum which needs to be filled sooner than later" |
| CRIS CHOGUGUDZA |
These hugely expensive
and unpopular characters being created by Zanu PF in the midst of the
Capital City are not only irrelevant but constitute an act of desperation
to save a moribund party that has long lost its legitimacy and moral
authority to lead the once great City of Harare. The plain truth is
that true leadership is fast becoming a scarce commodity within Zanu
PF and only unsuitable, greedy and incompetent people whose only qualification
is religious loyalty to Zanu PF are being given huge responsibilities
to oversee crucial departments in Zimbabwe. Most of these appointees
lack the requisite leadership skills let alone the vision and integrity
to steer Zimbabwe forward in a positive direction.
The cloud of secrecy and sacredness of the succession debate is not
only taboo in a democratic society but an indication that power in the
eyes of the establishment should not be a shared commodity but a preserve
to the fittest but not necessarily the brightest. In the progressive
world, succession issues are dealt with in a smooth and systematic way
that inspires confidence of the people into the future.
At 82, President
Mugabe is not only the oldest surviving leader in Africa but in the
whole world. On the contrary, at 82 President Mandela called it a day
even when the people still wanted him and that was exemplary leadership.
Mugabe’s refusal to publicly name his preferred successor is not
only unfortunate but a clear manifestation of the absence of sanity
in the Zanu PF boardroom. The wise would say ‘it is a good leader
relinquishes power when the people still want him as he or she deserves
absolute reverence for the rest of their post leadership era’.
It is unfortunate that these words of wisdom are extinct in the vocabulary
of Zanu PF.
The current state of events in Zimbabwe point to the fact that there
is a growing leadership vacuum which needs to be filled sooner than
later. It is a stratum of fact that a change of leadership in Zimbabwe
would almost immediately inspire some measured confidence in the economy.
The very day that President Mugabe decisively states that he is stepping
down in twelve months or sooner things will undoubtedly begin to change
for the better. If President Mugabe and his Zanu PF monster came up
with a flexible and credible plan of relinquishing power before 2008,
the West could easily consider easing their hard stance on Zimbabwe
believing that the country is now moving in the right direction.
The leadership issue needs to be solved now if Zimbabweans want to entertain
any hopes of survival. In Zambia when Kaunda left Office, the economic
fortunes of the country changed and dictatorship was replaced by democracy.
Today there is relative freedom of speech in Zambia, their economy is
now stable and promising, there are no fuel shortages, inflation is
below 15%, the country has benefited from debt relief, trade and investment
improved in Zambia and the people there have a future to look forward
to. The truth of the matter is that the country was freed from the rule
of madness and became an accepted credible member of the international
community. The issue of President Chiluba having allegedly ‘mismanaged’
the economy through corruption is another argument of lesser value than
the return of democracy to Zambia.
Zambia has had three
post-independence leaders (Kaunda, Chiluba and Mwanawasa), Malawi three
(Banda, Muluzi and Wa Mutarika), Tanzania four ( Nyerere, Mwinyi, Mkapa,
KiKwete) Mozambique three (Machel, Chissano, Guebuza), Botswana three
(Khama, Masire, Mogae), Namibia two (Nujoma and incumbent) in only 16
years, South Africa two (Mandela, Mbeki) in 12 years and poor Zimbabwe
one ‘great’ leader in 26 years (only Uncle Bob) who has
had dealings with at least four United States Presidents (Reagan, Bush
Senior, Clinton and W. Bush), three British Prime Ministers (Thatcher,
Major, Blair) and about half a dozen Japanese Prime Ministers.
It is true there are numerous socio-economic problems in Zimbabwe today
and we can rant and rave about them endlessly but for as long as the
country’s present leadership remains unchallenged we are poised
to doom and grim. Change of leadership is at the centre of the crisis
in Zimbabwe. The current leadership in Zimbabwe is out of touch with
the realities of a globalised world, they represent the past and may
have gone past any form of rebranding. It is a pity that those jostling
to succeed Mugabe are equally irrelevant and for their sins may not
be needed in a new Zimbabwe unless they blend with the opposition. No
meaningful socio-economic change will be realised in Zimbabwe as long
as Zanu PF has grip on power. Some people talk about a reformed Zanu
PF leadership as an alternative to Mugabe when he eventually decides
to go or is subjected to the law of mortality but how realistic is this
theory. It appears that the reformed leadership in Zanu PF either have
been purged, jailed and tortured, some have died mysteriously and the
rest have been pushed by the way side to give way to the prevailing
leaders of the twin power camps. The issue of reformed Zanu PF therefore
becomes impotent.
What other alternatives exist; leadership change from the opposition
MDC, again there arises the issue of electoral democracy and under the
existing conditions, no opposition party will win outright power in
Zimbabwe. The opposition has participated and ‘lost’ in
three elections and their experience in these elections suggest that
elections in Zimbabwe are only used to undermine democracy by legitimising
an unpopular government through a flawed process run by Zanu PF functionaries.
Mass demonstrations will not succeed in Zimbabwe due to the repressive
state machinery, high levels of poverty and mass deprivation resulting
in many people staying indoors instead of risking their lives in the
streets. It is time that all Zimbabweans put their efforts together
to push for constitutional reforms meant to bring about leadership change
in Zimbabwe. This can be achieved through mass stay aways, boycotting
parliament indefinitely, boycotting all public services and institutions
just to send a strong message that the current situation is not sustainable.
I hope the day will come when freedom returns to Zimbabwe, when people
descend on the Parliament buildings in a carnival atmosphere witnessing
the swearing in of a new popular post Mugabe leader, be it Morgan Tsvangirai
or Prof Arthur Mutambara. As for now, the people of Zimbabwe do not
really care who comes in as leader as long as the person represents
change and change that will be transformed into real better life opportunities
for the people.
l hope many of us
in the Diaspora will live to see the Freedom Day in Zimbabwe, otherwise
we will have no choice other than join the long queues of Zimbabweans
applying for British, and South African, Australian and Canadian citizenship
in search of a better future. If we do not live to see this day, may
those who will be lucky to survive, cherish and treasure it as a great
triumph for the real Third Chimurenga.
Crisford Chogugudza is a political commentator based in North London,
England. He can be contacted on crisford02@yahoo.co.uk
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