Two Bobs 'making poverty history'

Two Bobs 'making poverty history'

• Knowing that which I didn't know

• Zimbabwe: talking with one voice

By Bekithemba Mhlanga

PEOPLE throughout the world will this week respond to Bob Geldof’s clarion call to make poverty history. Bob Mugabe on the other hand will be rubbing his hands in glee at his spectacular moves that have made poverty history in Zimbabwe in a space of a month.

There are fundamental differences to the actions that the two Bobs have approached this issue. It is best to look at Bob Geldof’s approach first. His is more grandiose and truly romantic while the other Bob’s strategy seems to have been drawn from the latest business book on how to get things done.

Bob Geldof has been at his campaign to eradicate poverty for 20 years. The first time around his main focus was to raise money. At that time he thought money would pay for Africa’s way out of poverty. This has obviously not been very successful. This time around his focus is to create hundreds if not millions of political activists who will harangue political leaders into doing something about Africa’s poverty. Bob Geldof sincerely believes that if debt is dealt with, Africa could get one foot out of the grave and start to live again.

Because of his brevity and his ability to master public support, he can bring issues to the top of the world political agenda. Bob Geldof is feared by politicians, newspapers and a good number of individuals in the West. For that reason when he says let’s go to Edinburgh on the 8th of July, indeed many will turn up for this cause. He is desperate to get things down this time around as he knows they may never be another chance to deal with the world’s perennial problem child Africa.

Bob Mugabe on the other hand seems to have figured a way out of the problem. To him you do not need rock bands and wristbands to end poverty. This is how you deal with it: Send in a couple of bulldozers, destroy all vending stalls, ban urban agriculture and beat up anyone who resists this.

"If Operation Garikai is part of an already existing plan, how come no mention was made of such a major project when the President opened the new parliament?"

BEKITHEMBA MHLANGA

Re-house people, build factory shells, new schools and extra vending stalls all in three months. Presto, poverty gone! It may sound like hocus pocus to some but to others this is possible.

Again, Bob has been at this for the past twenty-years just like the other Bob. He is also desperate that this may be his last chance of dealing with the issue otherwise he may not be around long enough to deal with the problem. This is when it all gets complicated. For the past twenty-five years he has preached about providing housing for all but has done nothing about this. Sorry I lie – he has built Graceland and his own retirement palace. He worked hard at providing health for all by the year 2000. However under his watch we have seen hundreds of health personnel flee the country due to the inhospitable working environment. He has worked very hard at making sure that Zimbabwe is in a position to feed itself. Funny enough he has done his best through operation tsuro to destroy the country’s agriculture.

Now he wants the world to believe that he has achieved his goal of eliminating poverty by literally digging a big graveyard and burying all signs of poverty in the country. It is often said heroine addicts are known to be perpetual lies – is our president also abusing substances as well.

The world waits with bated breath on the UN envoy’s report. How did Harare explain where it would find the money for the Garikai project? Does the three trillion dollar figure also show up on the books that where shown to the IMF mission recently? If this is part of an already existing plan how come no mention was made of such a major project when the President opened the new parliament? At time when the country is in dire need of foreign currency for a litany of other essential items, where will the funding come from for the fuel and energy, tractors, earthmovers and electricity and pylons to service all these areas?

Something does not add up. I bet it adds up for Mbeki and Kofi Annan!
Bekithemba Mhalnga is a Zimbabwean broadcast journalist
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