The Chant of Savant

Sunday 9 June 2013

Zimbabwe: Mugabe Gives a Shining Legacy

When Kenya fell in mayhem in 2007/2008 doomsayers said it’s the end. We still vividly remember how former president Mwai Kibaki, who, in a sense, is the cause of all this megalomania, was demonized as a power-hungry monster. Again, after realizing his faults, Kibaki turned things around by ushering in the New Constitution whose fruits are calmness and democracy in the country. What transpired in Kenya is history. However, Kenya’s tribulations ended up in the rebirth of a nation. 
Something similar to what transpired in Kenya did happen in Zimbabwe recently. Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe, maybe, was more demonized than any current president in Africa. His unforgivable 'sin' was, and still is, the rectification of the economic imbalance in Zimbabwe. Bold as he always has been, Mugabe took on contentious issue of land. Since her independence in 1980 till up to when Mugabe decided to redistribute the land, many Zimbabweans lived like squatters in their own land. Knowing the price many Zimbabweans paid during Liberation Struggles, Mugabe stood firm to see to it that land issues are addressed once and for all. However, there were many shortfalls and outbursts towards this process that, for the first time in history, saw a president taking the burden of his people.
When Mugabe decided to take land from white settlers who got it illegally, and gave it to the Africans, he was branded a stinking racist. Again, was he? Mugabe’s bold step, just like Liberation struggles, had a price tag on it. Zimbabwe was subjected to economic sanctions which nearly brought the country to the status of a failure state. The aim was to instigate Zimbabweans to turn against Mugabe just like in Libya. Against all odds, it did not work. Again, Mugabe stood his ground to see to it that the interests of Zimbabweans were protected.
Things went from bad to worse. Once again, Mugabe shrugged everything off and went ahead to redistribute the land. His detractors backed by Zimbabwe’s former colonial master, Britain, took on Mugabe. They branded his land policy disastrous. Was it? Time will tell.
The recent re-writing and the signing of the New Constitution of Zimbabwe into law do comfortably empower me to give accolades to Mugabe. Indeed, those who painted Mugabe with the same brush branding him a stinking racist and dictator have nothing more to offer. Currently, Zimbabwe is back on the right track. The economy is tanking and chances are that soon Zimbabwe will regain her lost glory.  Looking at the look of things, I feel comfortable to congratulate and encourage Mugabe to do even more.  How the economy is doing can be reflected in the words of Finance Minister Tendai Biti who was quoted last year by the Voice of America as saying, “By the end of the year we would have reduced our primary balance to zero, in other words our books will balance and we are not going to carry a deficit in 2013.” Biti comes from the opposition. Thus, what he said should not be misconstrued as being political yada yada.
Another thing that proves Mugabe is going to leave a shining legacy is the fact that for the whole time he led a Government of National Unity, he tolerated and withstood all challenges resulting from it. Now that Zimbabwe has a New Constitution decided upon by Zimbabweans and signed into law, once again, Mugabe’s scored higher than anybody could bet. The other day I told a Canada-based Zimbabwean friend, professor  Eliachim Sibanda, that I was intending to write this piece. He encouraged me to write it.  We put our heads together. Our take is that Zimbabwe can benefit from the new constitution. We found that with a new constitution Zimbabwe assures the international community and Zimbabweans that soon she will conduct a free and fair election as it transpired in Kenya which by coincidence used to have the GNU like Zimbabwe.
Also, the new constitution entrenches liberties and rights to the people of Zimbabwe. If anything, nothing attracted me in the new constitution like chapter three which, under article 33: Duty to respect fundamental human rights, among other things stipulates as thus, “All persons, including juristic persons and all- organs and agencies of the State and Government, including local government, must respect, protect, promote and fulfill the rights and freedoms set out in this Chapter.”  What else do we want Mugabe to do? This means. Zimbabweans will have their voices been heard in every aspect and matter of their nation. It also will enable calm and peace to return so as to attract foreign investment back to Zimbabwe.
Interestingly, Mugabe’s bold take aims at empowering Zimbabweans by enabling them to enjoy and benefit from their resources. This is different from many African countries where incumbent leaders are throwing everything away to foreign investors for the fear of being demonized. The sage has it that the man is the one who stands alone. Mugabe has proved this to be very true to letters.

Like Kenya that recently evolved from ashes, Zimbabwe’ll soon be born again. This indicates that, like Kibaki, Mugabe will leave a very shinning legacy so to speak. He will go down history as the father of two constitutions in Zimbabwe. Let us encourage Mugabe to do more instead of frustrating and demonizing him. Well done Jongwe Bob!
Source:The African Executive Magazine June 5, 2013.

No comments: