But I do recognise that the time will come when I will need it and be very grateful for it. That time may come sooner or later, but it will come and I hope I am ready for it.
Some readers are probably already thinking “He's going to offer some advice for another Old Man” and you won't be far wrong. A lot of people were sorry for him when he tripped on that carpet at the airport, and many more feel embarrassed when he's photographed enjoying a little nap during some, probably very boring, meeting. We all feel it is unkind to impose the heavy burden on him that goes with occupying State House.
He is old enough to have earned a quiet retirement, a chance to rest, reflect and pass on the benefit of his experience to a new generation. Passing on what he has learned in life might mean telling stories to his vazukuru, it might mean writing his memoirs for the next generation of leaders and the rest of us to read.
People who suggest this have a point, but there is another reason they are right.
I have always been amazed at Our Dear Leader's grasp of every aspect of any situation he finds himself in, his ability to make a plan of action and to carry his plan through to the maximum benefit of himself. You might not think that is admirable; you might disagree with his aims or his ideas, but you must admire his tactics. He treats life like a game of chess. He knows the value and usefulness of each piece he controls on the board and can plot out several moves ahead what his opponent is likely to do – and find effective counter-moves.
If he had taken up chess in his youth, he could have been Zimbabwe's first Grand Master of the game. He could have been world champion. I'd have liked to see him play against Kasparov.
But unfortunately, it is probably too late for him to achieve that now. Long before the hand that moves pieces across that board grows stiff or shaky, the mind that guides it begins to lose some of that phenomenal grasp of the whole situation, of each element within it and of the possibilities and dangers it offers. The synapses, the gaps between nerve cells, transmit messages from one cell to the next more slowly and it is even possible that an occasional message goes astray.
This means that the mind, sharp as a razor and as quick as lightning, that we admired is slowing down and getting a bit blunt. The man loses the speed and precision of his grip on situations. A new Bobby Fischer will soon appear and beat him at chess.
As it is in chess, so also in real life.
I'm not saying he has already lost his grip; I can't judge. He clearly believes he is still in control and he hasn't seen any sign that he's less sharp than he was 50 years ago. That is precisely the danger. When his grip does begin to get less sure and his overview of the situation becomes less clear, he will not be the first person to notice the deterioration. The hyenas and jackals that always follow a lion know when the king of the jungle is losing his grip before he is aware of it himself. Do we want to wait for the hyenas and jackals to seize their advantage?
Post published in: Opinions