Prior to the Zimbabwean election many talked about a Kenyan-style revolution in Zimbabwe. What they were referring to was the Kenyan crisis in which power was eventually shared after a bitter spate of violence had left thousands dead. At that stage, Zimbabwe was about to hold its so-called election and in December of that year many parties had sprung up including an ambitious opportunist programme led by former finance minister Simba Makoni who tried to usurp power at the eleventh hour in February this year. They reasoned that Zimbabwe was surely destined for more violence and bloodshed on Harare's streets had a deal not been struck. Indeed the Kenyan style of democracy extended itself to the southern region of Africa. Two new concepts of African politics emerged. These are: Power-Sharing-- in which the ruling party is forgiven and given half of the powers to run an economy it has already battered, after it has lost an election. The other is Quiet Diplomacy in which an advanced African statesman presides over the troubles of another African state for as long as he sees fit and during which time he is completely quiet and closes his eyes, while millions of citizens are suffering. The majority who can still breathe flee to his country. In the process, the millions he will call refugees sell their labour for a bar of soap. They are beaten to death ostensibly for stealing locals' jobs, their wives and children. When the African statesman eventually wakes up, he trudges between two nations to secure the ideal deal for Africa --power sharing. Such has become the bad precedent that both Kenya and Zimbabwe have introduced to the world. Gone are the days of Idi Amin and Mobuto or Banda. In comes King Mugabe, the cleverest of all African politicians. This deal will probably be sold to other troubled spots like Somalia, Sudan or even the Congo. The world can laugh or cry, but Africans starve because of their own leaders who only know one thing--clinging onto power. Sadly, these fast-talking criminals masquerade as our saviours each time they plunder and abuse office. If this is the new way to African conflict resolution and governance, it can only be described as a sham. It demonstrates how incapable we are of giving up power as Africans. Sadly, we use Western modes of governance. Should we really let Bob move King Bob--the man who has starved us to death and robbed us of our rights--to choose who we want to lead us? A thousand times NO. The only deal that should have been signed was to assure airfare for Mugabe to travel to the Hague to answer for his crimes. PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Clutton Patsika a Zimbabwean journalist with The Southern Cross, a Catholic weekly has worked in a senior capacity for various newspapers in Zimbabwe including the Zimbabwe Daily Mirror and Daily News all shut down by the government. He specialises in development communication and popular culture. Trained in the UK, Japan and Zimbabwe, Clutton, believes that effective communication is achieved through simple ordinary day language. He survives by the grace of God as journalism is banned in Zimbabwe, unless you pander.
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