Why SA treats Mugabe with kid gloves
Nov. 22nd, 2008 08:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mahnmutAnother African attempt at finding a solution to an African problem, another disappointment.
When former SA president Mbeki brokered the "historic" power-sharing deal between Mugabe and the opposition, there was cautious optimism that African diplomacy had come of age.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the AU, who are guarantors of the September 15 power sharing deal, touted it as the solution to Zimbabwe's decade old economic "of dictators" tag. With a new breed of leaders like Botswana's Ian Khama, Tanzania's Jakaya Kikwete, Zambia's Levy Mwanawasa (he has since died) and SA's Thabo Mbeki (he resigned a week later) met, the continent had every reason to believe that SADC would bring the hard-nosed Mugabe into line. But despite tough talk by SA and BW that the Zim crisis had dragged on for too long, those well schooled in African politics did not yet order the champagne...
They knew that when faced with a choice between morality and expediency, African leaders choose expediency. The AU and SADC observers were unequivocal that Mugabe had stolen the June election. Yet it was only Botswana, Nigeria, Kenya and Liberia that rejected the old dictator's posturing and refused to accept him as a legitimate head of state.
Expectations were that the opposition would reject the AU position but it confounded its critics by agreeing to discuss a unity government with the election loser; yes, there was so much optimism that SADC would score a first by finding an African solution to an African problem.
But the SADC initiative hit a brick wall a fortnight ago when an extraordinary summit tried to impose an unworkable solution to the impasse over the sharing of cabinet portfolios between Mugabe's ruling Zanu/PF and the opposition MDC. The 5 out of 15 heads of state who bothered to attend the summit in Jo'burg were outfoxed by the wily Mugabe. He managed to have adopted the unworkable position that the feuding parties co-share the Interior Ministry.
Analysts say the failure of SADC in Zimbabwe can be traced to its unwillingness to tackle regional crises that first emerged in the DRC in 1998. Similar half-hearted attempts have been seen in SADC interventions in Lesotho and Swaziland where dictatorships have been legitimised.
I think the regional body's failure in Zim can be traced to Mugabe's consistent exploitation of the politics of the liberation movements. He continues to hide behind claims that his political opponents are agents of imperialism. As a result, the ruling ANC in SA, FRELIMO in Moz, Namibia’s SWAPO and MPLA in Angola continue to support Mugabe, making it difficult for the regional leaders to censure the dictator.
Even if Botswana, Zambia and to a lesser extent Tanzania have been vocal in rejecting Mugabe's dictatorship, countries led by the liberation movements have managed to drown their voices. To demonstrate that the Harare regime believes its politics of scaremongering works, it's now bogged down in a diplomatic row with Botswana after it made outrageous but familiar accusations that Gaborone was training opposition linked bandits. Duh...
Ps. And now, Zimbabwe has denied access to Jimmy Carter and Koffi Anan. LOL.
When former SA president Mbeki brokered the "historic" power-sharing deal between Mugabe and the opposition, there was cautious optimism that African diplomacy had come of age.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the AU, who are guarantors of the September 15 power sharing deal, touted it as the solution to Zimbabwe's decade old economic "of dictators" tag. With a new breed of leaders like Botswana's Ian Khama, Tanzania's Jakaya Kikwete, Zambia's Levy Mwanawasa (he has since died) and SA's Thabo Mbeki (he resigned a week later) met, the continent had every reason to believe that SADC would bring the hard-nosed Mugabe into line. But despite tough talk by SA and BW that the Zim crisis had dragged on for too long, those well schooled in African politics did not yet order the champagne...
They knew that when faced with a choice between morality and expediency, African leaders choose expediency. The AU and SADC observers were unequivocal that Mugabe had stolen the June election. Yet it was only Botswana, Nigeria, Kenya and Liberia that rejected the old dictator's posturing and refused to accept him as a legitimate head of state.
Expectations were that the opposition would reject the AU position but it confounded its critics by agreeing to discuss a unity government with the election loser; yes, there was so much optimism that SADC would score a first by finding an African solution to an African problem.
But the SADC initiative hit a brick wall a fortnight ago when an extraordinary summit tried to impose an unworkable solution to the impasse over the sharing of cabinet portfolios between Mugabe's ruling Zanu/PF and the opposition MDC. The 5 out of 15 heads of state who bothered to attend the summit in Jo'burg were outfoxed by the wily Mugabe. He managed to have adopted the unworkable position that the feuding parties co-share the Interior Ministry.
Analysts say the failure of SADC in Zimbabwe can be traced to its unwillingness to tackle regional crises that first emerged in the DRC in 1998. Similar half-hearted attempts have been seen in SADC interventions in Lesotho and Swaziland where dictatorships have been legitimised.
I think the regional body's failure in Zim can be traced to Mugabe's consistent exploitation of the politics of the liberation movements. He continues to hide behind claims that his political opponents are agents of imperialism. As a result, the ruling ANC in SA, FRELIMO in Moz, Namibia’s SWAPO and MPLA in Angola continue to support Mugabe, making it difficult for the regional leaders to censure the dictator.
Even if Botswana, Zambia and to a lesser extent Tanzania have been vocal in rejecting Mugabe's dictatorship, countries led by the liberation movements have managed to drown their voices. To demonstrate that the Harare regime believes its politics of scaremongering works, it's now bogged down in a diplomatic row with Botswana after it made outrageous but familiar accusations that Gaborone was training opposition linked bandits. Duh...
Ps. And now, Zimbabwe has denied access to Jimmy Carter and Koffi Anan. LOL.
