Mugabe’s ‘Ian Smith moment’

out his mess. Smith did exactly the same thing in 1979 after waging an unsuccessful bush war against the people of Zimbabwe for more than a decade. Brought to his knees by economic collapse, corruption, and widespread dissatisfaction with his dictatorship, Mugabe is faced with the very real threat of massive civil unrest and wants Britain to save him. Smith’s appeal resulted in the Lancaster House peace talks, which led to the formation of an Independent Zimbabwe in 1980.
Quite what Mugabe expects Tony Blair to do at this juncture is not clear. Wave a magic wand perhaps?
In any case, Blair would be mad to agree to talk to Mugabe now. And he certainly seems to have no inclination to do so. Actually, Mugabe is the problem – his reign has led to misgovernance, repressive laws, an opposition hamstrung by those laws, a judiciary compromised, rampant corruption, ministers who loot not only government coffers but also from private individuals, wanton politically-motivated murders condoned, a police force that has become ‘Zanunised’, the politicisation of food distribution to hungry people, the destruction of agriculture, mining, industry and commerce, and a myriad other injustices.
There is only one solution. Mugabe needs to sit down with the opposition and civic society to thrash out these problems in a serious manner that will address saving the nation and not just saving his own skin. Once this has been done, then will be the time to call upon the international community to come to our aid – as a nation, to help repair the damage done by decades of misrule. This continued calling for talks with Britain shows that Mugabe has not accepted that he is the problem in Zimbabwe today. Our problems will not be resolved until he goes away.
Mugabe’s call to Britain is simply a seeking after legitimacy. He needs to put his own house in order. Britain has an embassy in Harare – why does he not convey his message to Tony Blair through the ambassador instead of saying it at press conferences and rallies at Heroes Acre?