Six Strings and a Sketchpad

First off let me start by saying I absolutely hate it when the world looks to the USA and Britain for solutions to problems that aren't inherently theirs. Zimbabwe is one of those problems....In fact I despise the fact that South Africa has been slated for quiet diplomacy etc towards Zimbabwe, especially since people fail to remember that Zimbabwe in the 1960's and 1970's under the leadership of the 'esteemed' (and I say that with the utmost sarcasm) Ian Smith failed to recognise the problems of the then apartheid led South African government. In any case Ian Smith's leadership was the perfect platform for Robert Mugabe especially since it was he who defied the British Government and indicated that 'never in a thousand years would there be black majority rule'. A brief history for those who don't know Ian Smith the great Pu baa of white Zimbabweans (who always long for the time of 'Rhodesia'):

"Mr. Ian Douglas Smith became prime minister in 1964 and denounced the proposed constitution. After fruitless talks with Britain on finding a compromise, Mr. Smith proclaimed unilateral independence - making Rhodesia the second British territory, after the United States in 1776, to take such a step without approval by the crown. England declared his actions "treasonous."

The segregationist political system Mr. Smith maintained, including race-based restrictions on voting and land rights, was supported by counterinsurgency efforts that cost tens of thousands of lives before Mr. Smith was forced to step down in the late 1970s."

There endeth the brief history lesson but interestingly it is Ian Smith's approach to governing that has sadly outlived him, you see he had a martial law approach by calling state of emergencies and aggressively deploying a brutal central intelligence service and commando units to manage uprising within the country. Very similar to the approach taken by one Robert Mugabe, a onetime black rebel leader who is now the most reported on African Leader in the world.

I don't want to bore you with Mugabe's antics because you hear it every day but it is Morgan Tsvangirais refusal to participate in the runoff elections that had really caught my attention. Has this man given up or is it merely a legal masterstroke by which he has managed to sabotage the entire runoff election. Really one candidate does not make an election and surprisingly according to the flawed legal process in Zimbabwe this is illegal.

If Mr T as I call him believes that he won the election fair and square, my problem is this proof denies faith and if he doesn't stand for the election regardless of the outcome I fear that Mr T has exposed himself as someone who didn't quite have the needs of the Zimbabwean public at heart. Here is my second problem he is flirted with international leaders and the media in such a way that that the MDC has become the sole focus of the public media. Is it actually possible that there are followers within Mugabe's Zanu PF party that have had enough and might actually look to a change in political leadership, lets be realistic the MDC just shaded the win in the first election it wasn't exactly an overwhelming majority. So why isn't there international pressure for a Zanu PF party leadership change?

This will take some flack but I agree with Mbeki's approach to Zimbabwe, the problem with the press today is that they fail to see the factors that have led to this problem in Zimbabwe, lets be real about this Mugabe did take over from a leader who was hell bent on ensuring that black rule was never successful and sadly he did inherit a country that was tailored for white people like South Africa is. He didnt do well at managing it but I dont think he had the support or the platform either. We should assess the problem in its entirety rather than looking at Mugabe as the sole reason as to why Zimbabwe is the way it is. He is a silly old man who is holding on to power to there detriment of his people, but I don't think that Mr T is equipped to deal with the legacy issues left by British rule or that of Mr Ian Smith and Mugabe, he is just not tenacious enough in my eyes and he has let his supporters down by stepping down at this point in the process. Effectively by him stepping down the power has been taken away from the people of Zimbabwe as they no longer have a representative.

Its a tough one guys but I think my mind is made up, Zimbabwe needs a fresh start I agree, but Morgan Tsvangirai is not the man for the job, I see him as an incapable leader who is the best of a bad lot and doesn't have the backbone to go all the way with this. He should have stood for elections. If he didn't win, it would have shown the world that the process didn't work but instead we will all be left wondering what would have happened especially since the MDC did win the election the first time round. You cannot stop change when the people have had enough and when they have had enough........they will vote, revote or revolt accordingly!!!