Southern Africa, particularly South Africa and Zimbabwe, are facing a time of great uncertainty and transition. It is up to us to ensure that this transition is a positive one. But the US can certainly support us in our pursuit of democracy, and that support would be welcomed with open arms.
The events surrounding Marikana last year demonstrated to the world the deep-rooted divisions that remain between South Africa’s ruling elite and the workers; while in Zimbabwe Mugabe continues to do everything he can to steal the forthcoming election.
Obama has publicly declared – and rightly so – that ‘the cornerstone of US policy towards Africa should be built upon strong institutions and democratic policies, rather than strongmen.’ It’s difficult to think of an African country, indeed any country at all, with more of a ‘strongman dictatorship’ than Zimbabwe has been put through for the last 33 years.
Zanu (PF) has begun its campaign of intimidation, voter suppression and constitutional and legal manipulation as they do everything they can to cheat the citizens of Zimbabwe out of a free and fair election. The military leaders have already vowed to refuse any election outcome other than a Mugabe victory. We have also now learnt that the campaign of violence and intimidation is funded via illicit diamond revenues siphoned off from state-owned mining institutions.
Parliament’s cross–party mines and energy portfolio committee released a report outlining “serious discrepancies” between what diamond firms claimed to have paid in local taxes and what the government had received. In the report, one firm estimated it had paid $293million in taxes over four years but official government records show receipt of just $82 million. This further demonstrates the extent that corrupt military and political elite are protecting their own economic interests at the expense of the people they are suppose to serve.
And as a tragic illustration of how far they are willing to go to ensure this system remains undisturbed, the primary author of the report and diamond whistleblower, Zanu (PF) MP Edward Chindori-Chininga was assassinated just days after the damning report was issued. These are not the actions of a functioning democracy.
The people of Zimbabwe desperately want peace and prosperity. If we can have a Government that is built upon the rule of law and a democratic process then Zimbabwe could soon return to its rightful position as the breadbasket of Africa. But we do need the support of SADC and we do need the support of the US.
I am confident Obama understands the need for this. Through conversations with President Zuma he encouraged the upholding of values and the principles of democracy. Zimbabwe is desperate for that democracy and the Zimbabwean people deserve that democracy. We have now heard the words; I hope we now get to see the action.
Post published in: News