75% of Zimbabwe’s economic melt down and political paralysis to Robert Mugabe and his ruling party Zanu PF and the military Junta. The other 25% must be laid at Morgan Tsvangirai’s door, his MDC party and the passé of absolutely unless advisers. Before you say anything or read further; please listen to Violet Gonda talking to Professor John Makumbe, on SW Radio Africa 4 July 2008 programme “Hotseat” (available on the internet till 19 July) and judge for yourself.
“Mugabe is an illegitimate leader,” Professor Makumbe said. He went on to explain how Mugabe had used violence and murder to force Tsvangirai out of the race. “.. so you can not really have a Government of national Unity (GNU) led an illegitimate leader,” he concluded. The only legitimate result was the 29 March vote which Tsvangirai won and so Tsvangirai should lead the GNU.
Violet rightly pointed out that Mugabe has cleared refused to accept that. “he wants to rule, let him rule!” was the Professor’s answer.
“Another five years of Mugabe rule?!” fired Violet followed by grunt of sheer disbelief and great disappointment- if it had been on television, no doubt she would have fallen off her chair. Perish the very thought of it! But this is precisely what is wrong with Tsvangirai and MDC – no sense urgency or purpose!
“He will ruin Zimbabwe,” was Professor Makumbe prediction, as if that had not happened already. Professor Makumbe had two possible outcomes if Mugabe continued to rule: either country’s problems become so bad that Mugabe “capitulates and begs” Tsvangirai to form a GNU or he soldiers dragging the nation with him through it for a further five years. So either way things will get a lot worse in Zimbabwe.
The people of Zimbabwe voted for MDC and Tsvangirai to end the Mugabe dictatorship and their suffering it has brought as quickly as possible. The last thing they want to hear is that Mugabe will rule for another day longer and that their almost impossible lives will have to get a hell lot worse until such times as Mugabe decides to go.
Violet: “And what would MDC do meanwhile?”
Professor Makumbe: “MDC has its work cut out … it has the responsibility to govern!” The Professor was referring to MDC’s majority in Parliament and a clean sweep in Council Elections, particularly in urban centres.
It was my turn to fall off the chair! Harare’s elected Councillors have since been sworn-in and have elected the Execute and Deputy Mayor so MDC MPs will do likewise and form its on parallel administration complete with all the ministerial appointments.
Last year when the then Minister of Finance Samuel Mumbengegwi (himself a former University of Zimbabwe Professor in Economics no less) presented his national budget, with all the usual pomp and ceremony, he gave the nation something to laugh about! Laughable because the budget did not take into account the single most important issue thus rendering the whole budget a jumble of meaningless figures- and that issue was country’s runaway inflation. Inflation then was 20 000% today it is 200 000%, MDC Councils and Ministers will have more that their work cut out producing anything resembling a budget!
Violet went on to question Professor Makumbe on other topical issues with equally eye-popping answers. He claimed that Tsvangirai was the “winner” and President Thabo Mbeki and Robert Mugabe as the losers of the recent AU Summit resolution calling for GNU in Zimbabwe. He went on to heap praise on the few African leaders who had publicly condemned Mugabe’s failure to hold free elections. But we all know of course they were in the minority and so the resolution was more Mugabe and President Mbeki.
Many people, including me, have complained of Tsvangirai’s poor leadership, he lacks vision and initiative and so follow wherever events or Mugabe leads him. Here is proof; where is the vision in MDC’s “let Mugabe rule” approach? The party has held this line in fact since the 2000 election.
MDC said the 2000 election was not free or fair and many people agreed. What everyone else wanted then concrete steps to end Mugabe’s illegitimate rule. MDC wanted to “let Mugabe rule” and he did “ruin” the country. Exactly the same thing happened in 2002 elections and again Mugabe was allowed to rule and again he ruined the nation. Same thing again happened in 2005 with the same disastrous consequences. Now the nation is expected to do the same yet again, another five years of Mugabe rule.
The people of Zimbabwe elected Tsvangirai and his MDC party in 2000 and each subsequent election after that to end Mugabe’s dictatorship, period. Little did they know Tsvangirai would facilitate Mugabe’s continued rule to see just how deep the economic and political morose Mugabe would drag the nation before finally freely capitulated and handing power over to him. Indeed, Professor Makumbe’s logic, the longer Mugabe last in power is only another farther in Tsvangirai’s cap!
When it comes to our leaders even the most respectable African intellectuals, like Professor John Makumbe, (once respected but now vilified) Professor Jonathan Moyo, Professor Samuel Mumbengegwi, Professor Walter Kamba, etc. all lose their objectivity and professionalism. Instead of telling the erstwhile leaders the truth they say only what the later want to hear. Listening to it again, Professor John Makumbe will, no doubt, be ashamed his own performance on 4 July 2008 on SW Radio Africa.
Yes, the situation in Zimbabwe has become so desperate that even a mediocre leader like Morgan Tsvangirai compared to Mugabe would look like knight in shining armour. But if it has not dawned on Zimbabweans that their Don Quixote knight is busy fighting windmills instead of slaying the beast, it will soon! If Zimbabweans had quality leadership from MDC as far back as 2000 then Mugabe’s rule would have ended years ago!
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