January 2011 will remain in history as a month when Egyptians and Tunisians won the world political stage to reclaim people power. They managed to advance the will of ordinary people by stimulating popular democratic participation and re-directing political discourse on issues of poverty, unemployment and corruption.
The emerging balance of power in these countries reassures the world's exploited, living in countries such as Zimbabwe, that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and that there are opportunities to mirror events in Yemen, Egypt and Tunisia.
But some pundits world over disagree, as they believe Zimbabweans are docile, politically unimaginative and lazy people who are incapable of fending off Mugabe’s political establishment through a revolution. Is this remotely a correct assessment of the Zimbabwean persona? Is this a fair characterisation of people that have suffered so much for so long?
In a recent article titled “Zimbabweans cannot outsource their revolution” Jacob Dlamini, a South African writer suggests that Zimbabweans have failed to forge their own revolution to get rid of Mugabe, but wait for outside help especially from South Africa. He queries: “Why the Movement for Democratic Change, whose roots are supposedly in Zimbabwe’s labour movement, has yet to organise a successful strike, stay away or other form of popular protest?”
This statement among others suggests that Zimbabweans are incapable of fighting for their own freedom and dignity. I beg to differ.
Zimbabweans are a resilient people who are hardworking and productive; and have not only fought for their 1980 political independence but also assisted South African political movements such as Inkatha Freedom Fighters and Mandela’s ANC during apartheid rule.
They have been there before
Zimbabweans are not strangers to struggles for self-determination. During the British South Africa Company rule (1890 – 1923) in the then Southern Rhodesia, they launched a bloody uprising between 1896 and 1897 to oust the settlers. This was their first taste of fighting for freedom despite inferior weaponry.
Once again between 1964 and 1979 Zimbabweans took up arms against Ian Smith’s minority regime and succeeded in securing the first ever majority rule in 1980, resulting in the creation of Republic of Zimbabwe. Based on these events why do Zimbabweans continue to tolerate dictatorship today?
Culture of Patronage
Zimbabweans experience Mugabe as a cross to carry; and a man determined to stay in power regardless. Ten years ago he made it clear to the world that he will not be forced to leave office. He said: "”I know the way I came to power and I know the way I should leave. I will leave office the Mugabe way.”"
His Vice President. the late Simon Muzenda. added: “We shall rule until the donkeys grow horns. We shall answer to God, to history and to our conscience for the way in which we have used these years.”
There is therefore with no doubt that Mugabe has become entrenched; and has used every trick in the book to stay in power. He is a fiercely give-no-quarter politician and is driven by failure not to accommodate but to isolate and divide his enemies excessively.
A carrot and donkey scenario
In the carrot and the donkey story, a carrot is tied to the end of a string which is attached to a stick protruding from the donkey’s harness. No matter how many steps the donkey takes to get any closer to his goal it is an impossible task. In the meantime while the donkey attempts the impossible, he is moving forward, which is the desired effect.
This is exactly the situation Zimbabweans find themselves in today. In the 1990s when people had begun voicing their discontent, Mugabe unleashed war veterans to invade white owned commercial farms on the pretext of sharing the land with the poor. This amounted to nothing but appeasement.
Recently Mugabe has threatened to take over foreign owned gold mines in the country as part of a dubious ‘indigenization’ programme.
It is clear though, that as things stand today Mugabe will leave behind a political legacy of sustained negativism that far transcends the damage to his own party, his people and the country that used to be the breadbasket for Southern Africa.
And I believe Zimbabweans are right: there is still room for patience and no need to outsource a revolution.
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