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It never rains, but pours for the people of Zimbabwe, | |
By Selbin Kabote LINK!!!!! It never rains, but pours for the people of Zimbabwe, as corruption, political and economic decay continues with no end in sight. "THEY may bless the rains down in Africa" goes the song by the band Toto. This nostalgic song has over the years become a tourism continental anthem. However, Zimbabwe's summer rains no longer bring any joy, but they bring misery to the homeless people of Porta farm and other areas designated for the homeless and destitute people in Zimbabwe. Rains which are normally a symbol of life and hope are ironically now bringing a feeling of gloom and doom to many Zimbabwean farmers who have no farming equipment and fertilizers. In my opinion, the poor, as we know, will always be with us – also on a macro level in terms of the world economy. Zimbabwe has been one of the poorest countries in the world for a long time now. The country is regressing, since it is playing no role in the world economy. The country is also attracting attention on the world stage for some very negative reasons such as excessive suffering and human rights abuses. Zimbabwe is now inhibited by some of the poorest people in the world. The country's former pride as Africa's bread basket has now gone down the drains. Extreme poverty has turned many Zimbabweans at home into Stone Age scavengers. The situation is not very good either for the many Zimbabweans in the Diaspora. London's Gatwick Airport, where the national airliner lands, has now been Christened "Gatwick Maenzanise" which translated from the Zimbabwean Shona language to English means "Gatwick the Equalizer". The airport is so named because when many Zimbabweans initially arrive at the airport in most cases, they have to forget about their social status or profession back home and concentrate on the day to day survival issues in the United Kingdom. I know of many people who were Doctors, Engineers, Teachers or Journalists in Zimbabwe, but on arriving in the UK, they had no choice but to forget about their professions during the initial years of their life in the Diaspora, so as to concentrate on their studies. However, as with all other cases, there are always some exceptions with many other people on this issue. There are some people who were contracted from Africa to work in the Medical field, Engineering, Information Technology and other specialist areas in the UK. On the other hand, poverty has given birth to endemic corruption in Zimbabwe. Stories of corruption and human rights abuses in Zimbabwe make depressing reading and are an embarrassment to President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, John Agyekum Kufuor of Ghana and the Senegalese President, Abdoulaye Wade, who are the architects of the New Partnership for Africa's Development-NEPAD. As a result of corruption, lack of democracy and the rule of the law in Zimbabwe, this initiative which was once hailed as the new blue print for Africa's economic development, is now slowly dying like the post war League of Nations. NEPAD is now more of a pipe dream or a skeleton with no flesh. The Zimbabwean political scientist, Dr John Makumbe once told me in an interview that NEPAD can never succeed in Zimbabwe without regime change. "It is unlikely that the Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe himself at the helm of the nation would be willing to eat humble pie or turn over a new leaf, or plead with the West to give him another chance to come to his aid in terms of balance of payment support or development assistance", Dr Makumbe said. On the same issue, many international observers now claim that the lack of assertive action towards Zimbabwe indicates that the African Union and its economic counterpart, NEPAD, will be unable to amount to anything more than rhetoric. I agree with the views of the international observers, mainly because of the Status Quo in Zimbabwe, where despite the humanitarian crisis and overwhelming pressure in favor of reforms, President Mugabe remains in power and apparently continues to enjoy the support of influential regional players. This issue of power was well highlighted by the Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka in his latest Memoir – "You must Set Forth at Dawn". In this memoir the Nigerian born Professor Soyinka notes that according to Yoruba wisdom, as one approaches elder status, one ceases to indulge in battles. "Some hope!" comments Wole Soyinka, early in the memoir, however in Zimbabwe, the opposite is true, despite his advanced age, President Mugabe is not ceasing to indulge in battles and is also not showing any signs of giving up his hold on power just yet. Professor Soyinka sees Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe as "the latest King Baabu of the African continent" – an allusion to his 2002 play, which was a satire about a fictional but recognizable tyrannical general called Basha Bash. Recent reports from Zimbabwe say the government is preparing to seize majority shares in all of Zimbabwe's foreign-owned businesses and mines, in a move that economists warn would be as damaging as the widespread land seizures in the country. Top of the list of companies expected to be targeted are London-listed mining groups such as Rio Tinto and Anglo American, though recent remarks by Zimbabwean ministers suggested banks such as Standard Chartered and Barclays could also be hit. One minister said "Imperialist companies" would be targeted as they had been operating with what the president described as a "sinister, regime-change agenda". The Zimbabwean government has already drafted an amendment to the Mining Act, which requires all foreign-owned mines to have 51% of their shares owned by "indigenous" Zimbabweans. In a move which has all the hallmarks of corruption and nepotism, in both proposed bills, it is widely understood that the new black Zimbabwean shareholders would have to be closely tied to President Mugabe's ruling party, ZANU PF. Economists warn the actions would severely hurt Zimbabwe's already battered economy, which is suffering 3, 700% inflation, the world's highest. Zimbabwe's economy has shrunk by 50% since 1999, an unprecedented contraction in a country not at war. According to many business executives, the seizure of majority stakes in businesses and mines would increase inefficiency, mismanagement and corruption. Independent analysts say the new moves are simply the latest example of President Mugabe's plundering of Zimbabwe's economy. Many gallant fighters died during the armed struggle to liberate Zimbabwe, yet the rains of poverty and deprivation continue to pour down upon the majority of Zimbabweans. At times, I tend to wonder as I question whether there is any truth or wisdom behind Wilfred Owen's popular war poem "Dulce et Decorum Est pro patria mori" which translated from Latin to English means "It is Sweet and right to die for your country". I wonder if these words which were widely understood and often quoted at the start of the First World War are true, or whether it is just another old lie. If it is an old lie, then the fallen heroes of Zimbabwe's liberation struggle must be turning in their graves. Food for Thought. |
Peace and Tranquility???
 Peace and Tranquility??? |
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