Turn down the volume
George Bush, Desmond Tutu and many others are calling for the removal of Mugabe. But Sophie Zvapera, a Kubatana subscriber suggests another approach altogether.
I realise that there is always joy when another leader or renowned person calls for the removal of Mugabe from office given the untold suffering that the people of Zimbabwe are going through. I also realise that it is seen as piling more pressure on Mugabe if there are widespread calls for him to be removed/toppled. However, I just want to say that the more the West calls for Mugabe to be removed from power the more hardened Mugabe becomes. So in my opinion this international groundswell is working in reverse by hardening Mugabe’s stance even further. This means the more the West goes over the fact that Tsvangirai should be given the Ministry of Defence for instance the more Mugabe sticks onto his guns and the more he refuses to make concessions. This is my understanding of Mugabe’s psyche that the more the West speaks the more he enjoys spiting them and the more ruthless he becomes to prove a point.
I am saying this so that people realise that even now with all these deaths and the crises let us not assume for one moment that Mugabe will raise his hands up in surrender. The Gukurahundi deaths are said to be 20 000 or more but did Mugabe care then? Did he stop because the numbers were alarming? No! It is therefore not in Mugabe’s make-up to think that the people of Zimbabwe have suffered enough through cholera, starvation, HIV/AIDS etc so he should step down. He will continue to hang on as long as he can.
I doubt that there is going to be any UN intervention any time soon which means people are continuing to die in large numbers, abductions and disappearances will continue and suffering will continue. I believe that it is only dialogue that can bring an end to this suffering and my suggestion is that since it is only Tsvangirai whom we can appeal to and not Mugabe, why does he not consider going into the inclusive government for the people’s sake to avert the humanitarian catastrophe that is unfolding in full view of the whole world with no solution in sight so far, except to talk and talk and even talk louder?
Wednesday, December 10th 2008 at 5:59 pm
Six months ago, I would have agreed with Sophie completely, but not any more. It isn’t about what feeds the old man’s anger and self-righteousness any more. Nor about whether his attitude hardens – how much harder can it get, than daily state sponsored abductions of opposition and human rights activists? How much more intransigent, than untold numbers of cholera deaths with no hospital beds? Than numerous deliberate violations of the so-called Agreement? There comes a point at which this degree of intransigence, or that, no longer matters. Sophie’s right there: he’s going to hang on forever, no matter what, because he believes Zimbabwe and the world owes him a life of luxury, and he’ll go to hell believing that.
Tsvangirai, unfortunately, now realises that to go into government on Mugabe’s terms is political suicide for him, and no lasting comfort for his people. The “West” will not make funds available if Mugabe’s still calling the shots, that has been made abundantly clear and nobody’s given Tsvangirai a magic wand, except perhaps one that makes fellow Zimbabweans magically disappear whenever the Opposition or civil rights groups attempt any kind of public demonstration against the state (not that I blame them, given the likely consequences). The sad fact is that Mugabe is willing to shed plenty of blood to stay in the game, but Tsvangirai is not, in order to get into the game. So the agony goes on and Zimbabweans might as well be dead already, for all they are able or willing to do about it themselves.
So, let them all speak, and keep speaking. Their words aren’t worth much, but it’s all they can do….It’s not Mugabe who matters any more, but Zimbabweans everywhere, who need to know that their pain and abuse at the hands of the tyrant does not go unseen. The other important audience includes the would-be kingmakers of SADC…They too need to know that their current approach is ill informed and totally out of sync with the rest of the world. They must face reality and understand that if we keep on putting two fingers up to the international community like this, our own countries and dearest projects such as the 2010 Soccer World Cup will suffer for it.
When respected voices have been raised across the world, including those of Africa and friends of Africa, it becomes ridiculous for Mugabe to bang that old racist-colonialist drum. Not that being ridiculous ever stopped ZANU-PF, but as I say, it simply is not about them any more. They’re history, and everyone knows it except them. So let the chant swell across the globe and let the whole world join in: Mugabe must GO!! Sooner or later, the right people will start listening.