The world is not taking Zimbabwe's economic and political mess seriously because we are yet to show that we are serious about searching for a solution ourselves. Glen Mpani's recent interview on S W Radio Africa is a typical, but not only, example.
For someone who has been studying MDC for four years; Glen Mpani’s shallow and partisan understanding of that party was very disappointing. Particularly so, given this was supposedly a PhD level study!
I know Political Science, Glen’s PhD field, is not an exact science. One can write a whole thesis and get and A+ doctorate and write another thesis saying the exact opposite based on the same political facts and too get an A+. Not so with the exact science like Mathematics, Physic, etc. An electrical circuit board controlling something as simple as traffic lights, for example, will obey the same Ohm’s Law as the circuit board controlling a Space Rocket. Circuit analysis of each board will one and only one correct answer; no nonsense! Glen’s analysis was just that; nonsense.
The one thing, above all else, that has contributed to MDC’s election success is the economic and political desperation of the Zimbabwe people. The people are so desperate for change that they have willing overlooked MDC’s mind boggling incompetence, lack of vision, etc., just to see the back of Mugabe and his Zanu PF party.
The root cause Zimbabwe’s 20 million percent inflation rate, empty shop, none existent health service and shortages of even the most basic goods and services is the nearly three decades of misrule by an incompetent and corrupt regime. The economic melt down has left millions of Zimbabweans destitute and without hope!
Just as MDC’s political success is founded on the people’s despair, Zanu PF’s political success is founded on fear. We are a nation living in fear of what Mugabe will do if what we do should displease him. The fear is real and justified for we all know what depth of depravity the brutal regime can sink to in its effort to retain political power.
Run up to the 29 March vote, the economic hardships- nothing to do with what MDC had said or done- had given the people the courage to overcome their fear of displeasing Mugabe by voting for MDC in large numbers. When Mugabe turned his thugs on the people like a park of wolves on sheep; the people fell back into line quick smart!
On the 29 March the people had delivered electoral victory to Tsvangirai in a silver platter. But that he should have the prize snatched out of his grasp was itself a measure of his political inaptitude. That MDC should have gone into the on going political negotiations without a clear bottom-line minimum demands is further proof of the party’s sheer incompetence.
That the people should be voting for such a mediocre party like MDC is itself a measure of just how desperate Zimbabweans really are!
Yes, Glen acknowledged MDC’s very serious shortcomings but to describe them as merely “weaknesses” is a total misrepresentation of the facts. Just because a pig is as buoyant as a duck does not mean a pig can fly. Its lack of feathers is not merely a “weakness”; it is the clinching proof!
The situation in Zimbabwe IS truly desperate and as such it demands serious and honest discussion. The international community is ready and willing to help Zimbabwe out of this economic and political mess. So far they have not lifted a finger, because we, Zimbabweans, are not serious about solving our problems. So far we have shown that we are NOT serious- not if Glen Mpani type analysis is all we have to offer!
(The full radio interview is available on the web at swradioafrica.com or ask Violet Gonda for a copy of the transcript)
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