During a recent chance meeting with an old colleague I had not seen since well before the July 31 harmonised elections, we had a brief but scintillating discussion on the topical issue of the resurgence of the Robert Mugabe brand — which has once again assumed complete dominance of the country’s politics.
SundayOpinion by Desmond Kumbuka
Fascinatingly, the friend confessed a newfound admiration for President Mugabe, specifically after his performance at the UN General Assembly in New York last September. To my friend, Mugabe had shown that he is not afraid of the white man and his western neocolonialist governments by pouring scorn on their leaders for rejecting his landslide victory in the July poll. That the Zimbabwean leader could fearlessly chorus “Shame, shame, shame on you” to the US and British leadership was a diplomatic first for any African leader, and Mugabe immortalised his nationalist credentials by chiding the neo-colonialists in their own backyard.
“If there is one thing the old man has taught me, it is to demystify the white man,” my friend gushed. “He has taught me to be a proud Zimbabwean and his desire to ensure that national resources are in the hands of indigenous blacks makes him the hero of our time,” he declared insisting it was only brainwashed Zimbabweans (like me) who consorted with the President’s biased western critics and detractors.
But what about all the corruption in his Zanu PF government and allegations of vote-rigging made by the opposition MDC-T after the July 31 poll, I asked incredulously. The gentleman was aghast! Where in in this world is there no corruption — or vote rigging. Even in the United States — there have been allegations of vote rigging. It is simply because this is a black country led by a revolutionary nationalist Robert Mugabe, that corruption and vote-rigging suddenly assume exaggerated significance” he shot back.
When I suggested, rather vainly, that there should at least be an equitable distribution of the country’s wealth and that all citizens should be entitled to benefit from the country’s mineral wealth including the diamonds, my friend, who for obvious reasons must remain nameless, was implacable. “You name one country in the world where wealth is equitably distributed” he challenged bluntly.
Zimbabweans face starvation in the coming months because of the prevailing food shortages in the country. Unemployment is on the rise as scores of companies close down because of government’s economic policies that are largely viewed as inimical to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
Other delegations to the September UN General Assembly conference must have been baffled that a leader of a country in dire straits, with almost a quarter of its population facing starvation and scores of citizens dying in hospitals because of a severe shortages of drugs can show up at the annual jamboree with a delegation of more than 80 people.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Without a hint of irony, the President berated the US, Britain and the EU for maintaining sanctions on his regime, but fails to realise that every dollar he spends on his trips, many of which are of dubious benefit to the country, imposes an additional burden on the population worsening its poverty. Media reports following the UN trip indicated that the Presidential delegation may have gobbled in the region of US$500 000 in the five days that he was in New York.
Charity begins at home, and President Mugabe needs to demonstrate his empathy with suffering Zimbabweans by at least sharing in some of their sacrifices. While the rest of the country is subjected to endless power outages and water cuts, it is said such inconveniences are unheard of at Gushungo Holdings and other properties owned by the First family to say nothing of State House and the Borrowdale Presidential mansion.
It is therefore unlikely that President Mugabe can rebrand himself to convince Zimbabweans that the past three decades of corruption, incompetence and general malfeasance in his party and government are purely the result of his being hated by his western detractors, and that the removal of sanctions against his administration will translate into a new Zimbabwe in which all can enjoy peace, prosperity and the protection of State security institutions.
I strongly suspect that the friend singing praises of the President may have become a beneficiary of Mugabe’s far-reaching patronage project, which makes him oblivious to any shortcomings associated with his leadership. This is a national malaise afflicting a vast number of Zimbabweans — a selfish streak whose motto seems to be: “If my own pecuniary circumstances are good, whether by hook or crook, the hell with everyone else.”
