Over the past decade or so, Zimbabwe has been topical as a country in deep, and ever deepening economic crisis.It has come to be accepted by a fair number of Africas people that the problem in Zimbabwe was more political than it was economic, to an extent that the resolution of the former would, of necessity, bring the resolution of the later, at least in the most brazen of the economic crisis. The economic crisis was a mirror reflection of the politics which had become characterized by violence, brutality, hate speech, continuous contraction of democratic space and pseudo Pan-Africanism. For all intents and purposes, Zimbabwe had become, at the very least, a police state, and at most a militarized state run by an organized mafia with vampire instincts.
With the coming of the Inclusive Government, born of the Global Political Agreement, there is a thawing of the acrimonious politics which had defined Zimbabwe. There is hope that the people of Zimbabwe will have some reprieve and a return of some modicum of normality. Evidence is abound that the economy has stabilized, and most are beginning to toss around figures of economic growth.
The politics is however still littered with toxins of the past, and sporadic incidents of politically motivated violence are reported, mainly against members of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Zimbabweans have spoken and expressed their inclination for change since 1999, and in all the successive elections which have taken place, including the March 29 2008 election. However, this inclination for change has not, for the past ten years, translated itself to practical political facts; put simply, there has not been a transfer of power.
The question of transfer of power is the real political conundrum that has to be resolved.
Resilience displayed by the people of Zimbabwe to achieve change through the ballot as opposed to violence and military coups should be commended. The Inclusive Government that is currently running the country has to be supported by all true Pan Africanists. Africas people must accept the reality that the Zimbabwe African National Union (Patriotic Front) (ZANU PF), although it can never lose its liberation credentials, has deviated most fundamentally from the ideals and values that underpinned the struggles for national liberation; consequently it has been rejected by the people of Zimbabwe. Those values, because they are peoples values, and not some abstract theoretical constructions, have acquired a new home in the MDC, carried by the same Zimbabweans.
Whatever one many think of the MDC, indeed whatever informs their views of the MDC, it has to be accepted that the momentum of change has titled decisively in favour of the MDC. It is for all that are committed to a peaceful, democratic, sovereign Zimbabwe, to support the momentum for change. For Africa and its people to push for any other result is to ferment resent by the very same Zimbabwean people, whom they would claim to be talking on behalf of.
Africans people, and their institutions, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the African Union (AU), not because they are guarantors of the Global Political Agreement in Zimbabwe, but because they are Africans committed to the realization of the goals of the struggle for our collective independence, have to ensure that the Global Political Agreement is fulfilled, its spirit and letter adhered to and that all concerned in Zimbabwe begin to orient and re-orient themselves with why so much blood and sacrifice was made to free, at least politically, Africas people.
In short, the time to assist the people of Zimbabwe is now. The Zimbabwean crisis has always been an African problem, and its solution can only be an African solution. There is an opportunity-Africa use it!
The views expressed in this opinon are solely the views of the author thereof, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Movement for Democratic Change, Nqobiztha Mlilo writes in his personal capacity.
Post published in: News