Too little, too late

Though welcome, it has come much too late and the damage has been done. Nothing but the strongest condemnation could suffice following Tsvangirai’s decision

to withdraw because of the loss of life among his supporters though he had won the first round of presidential voting.

Unfortunately, this was the triumph of state-sponsored terrorism at a time of enlightenment, though Tsvangirai’s party the Movement for Democratic Change had secured a parliamentary majority.

It was refreshing to hear Jacob Zuma, South Africa’s ruling party leader, condemn the situation in Zimbabwe, saying he could not agree with what Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party was doing. He said the situation was out of control and called for urgent intervention by the United Nations (UN) and the regional South African Development Council (SADC).

Similar harsh words were heard from other leaders. The United States said it would go to the UN Security Council to look at additional steps that could be taken. Its hands are tired because of a possible veto from China.

There were even murmurs from African leaders who Mugabe would once have counted among his strongest allies. Angola’s Eduardo dos Santos, a fellow liberation fighter, urged the Zimbabwean president to “embrace a spirit of tolerance and respect for democratic norms”.

Zambia’s Levy Mwanawasa, who chairs the Southern African Development Community regional bloc, conceded that “what is happening in Zimbabwe is, of course, of tremendous embarrassment to all of us”.

However, there was no condemnation from South Africa. President Thabo Mbeki is committed to the notion that “tepid diplomacy” will fashion some sort of compromise, perhaps a unity government.

Events have made this impossible. Any such illusion, and any rationale for appeasement, has surely been shattered by Mugabe’s obsession with power at all costs.

South Africa is critical because of its economic muscle, and the criticisms of other African leaders were calculated attempts to put pressure on Mbeki to orchestrate change. He is loath to act because of Mugabe’s support for the African National Congress during apartheid and his willingness then to shelter its leaders.

There have also been calls for intervention by armed forces. However, the question of political sovereignty is an emotive issue in post-colonial independent countries. Mugabe paints the run-off as a contest against colonial interests, for which he said Tsvangirai was a puppet.

Totalitarian governments are the beneficiaries of this reticence but in Zimbabwe matters will only change if its neighbours and the UN recognise they have a responsibility to intervene, and should have done so a long time ago.