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.
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