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The change of name from Rhodesia to Zimbabwe
was meant as a celebration signifying the return of ownership; a transfer of 'our' rightful inheritance from our
forefathers of one of the most advanced and
sophisticated physical structure on the
African landscape. The time and
circumstance at the time was inspiring, it
would have been cruel to not share the mood
and anticipation that greeted the birth of the
new nation. This however was half the story
of how a one man history represents that of
his country.
The diminutive middle age warrior and
liberator was worth every ounce of his
modest physique; what he could not project
in size, he made up for in his tenacity. The late
Joshua Nkomo with the advantage of
enormous physical endowment tried but
could not withstand the onslaught of his
smaller compatriot.
Robert Mugabe and his ZANU Party
eventually swallowed up the more liberal
Joseph Nkomo's patriotic front to become the
only official party in the new nation and the
final building block in his quest to build a
country in his own image.
Rhodesia's independence from Great
Britain in 1980 after a difficult and protracted
struggle and negotiation until the end of
apartheid in South African in 1994 represents
the first universal acceptance of equality among races. And in Robert Mugabe, then a
worthy ambassador of the potential strength
of the African man – a man who fought the
colonial oppressors, faced down his local
rival and promised a new beginning for
Africa. It was brave as it was audacious.
If you now read the the story of Zimbabwe
since then, you would understand the plight
of Africa and its people since the 'wind of
change' started blowing across the continent
half a century ago. Could we Africans have
waited a bit longer for our independence? Or
was the freedom handed over to the wrong
group of people? Rhodesia in 1980 was a
very wealthy and prosperous country feeding
its people and providing for its neighbours.
The structure of state was very advance and
the standard of living was that of a successful
middle income economy.
In 2008, twenty-eight years down the line
and the drain, the now old Robert Mugabe
has turned Zimbabwe into a basket case; a
hell to his people, burden to neighbours and
an embarrassment to the human race. On the
face of it, Zimbabwe remains a democracy;
they had election, a representative assembly
but in actual fact, it is an autocracy mired in
nepotism and corruption. Things are so bad
that in the recent election with all the
impediments put on the way of the opposition
and all his might Mugabe could not totally rig
the outcome which he said even though he
lost, he would not live to see another person
rule Zimbabwe.
Zimbabweans are consequently held
hostage by a megalomaniac who equates the
opportunity to serve to an inalienable right.
As in most African countries, logic is a
hindrance; the man still argues that he is the
darling and messiah of his people and must
continue to rule even with over a third of the
population now refugees in neighbouring
countries. Determining the rate of inflation is
increasingly impossible since it has become a
speeding target – the latest estimate is that
inflation is now running at about two million
per cent per annum – whatever that means.
In this quagmire, who should or could help
the innocent people of Zimbabwe? As an
African, the first thought is the god of our
ancestors or maybe the United Nations? The
African Union? SADEC? Lets take it one by
one. The god of our forefathers have been
silent for too long in the face of similarly
painful experiences like famine, slavery,
colonisation and home grown monsters like
Idi Amin, Bokassa, Abacha et al that one
must wonder whether they care. The United
Nations was set up after the ruinous two
European wars called world wars to protect
weaker nations from adventurous space
seekers that saving a people from one of their
own has proven extremely difficult. On the
other hand the Africa Union is a
contraception that serves the interest of its
'members' by not caring about the plight of
ordinary people. And finally SADEC, a
mutely of countries at one time or the other at
the mercy of apartheid South Africa – to
majority of their leaders Robert Mugabe is a
hero, a living legend they could not dare to
challenge even while his reign of honour is
creating havoc in their own countries.
Unfortunately as is the case all through
history in struggles against dictatorship, none
of the above promises any reprieve, the only
hope for the people of Zimbabwe is that they
must stiff up their spine and confront their
jailer. To allow him to die on his thrown is a
legacy coming generations would find
difficult to understand....more
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