When he took over from Abel Muzorewa close to three decades ago, Zimbabwe, with its terrible racist and bloody liberation war past, was still a showpiece of Africa.
Many sub-Saharan Africans looked on with envy as certain aspects of that country were decidedly like a developed country. Food was the strong point of Zimbabwe. It produced enough to feed itself and sell the surplus to the rest of the world. Great things were expected of that country.
Today Zimbabwe cannot feed itself; it is a country totally uneasy with itself and the rest of the world. No one, not even the rulers of Zimbabwe can put their hands on the Holy Bible or Holy Koran and swear to Almighty God that the country is living in normal times. Fundamental freedoms and human rights are absent and instead of the rule of law, the rule of thuggery exists there. Just look at the rather puerile exercises last week of detaining diplomats, asking charities to “suspend” food aid and the arrest of Morgan Tsvangirai the MDC leader twice…
So what happened to NEPAD and the Peer Review Mechanism? Are African leaders telling us that what is taking place in Zimbabwe is an acceptable African norm?
We are most disappointed by what is looking like the complicity of African leaders, by their prevarication, in this totally self-destructive path Mr. Robert Mugabe has taken his country these past several years. Like Iddi Amin, like “Emperor” Bokassa, like Mobutu Sese Seku and the other unsavoury types who drove their countries into the abyss, is Mugabe going to be allowed to drive this once thriving country to the ground? Can’t Africa call Mr. Mugabe to order? What a pity, what a shame…
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