The time has come for world to stand up to Mugabe
Jul 1 2008 By Michael Cashman
I am a born optimist. To the annoyance of friends and family I always try to turn a negative into a positive, a failure into a challenge.
But I am beginning to doubt whether there is anything that can be said which is either positive or optimistic about the atrocity of Zimbabwe.
In April I suggested that the nations of Southern Africa had reached their moment of truth. The brave people of Zimbabwe had sounded a resounding NO to Robert Mugabe and his despotic regime. A beacon of hope had been lit, but it was clear from the outset that Mugabe would never accept such a result and the delay in publishing the election results sent a signal to the world that he would do anything to extinguish that beacon. The apparatus of government was subsequently deployed to wage a campaign of violence, intimidation, arrest and murder against opposition figures and their supporters on a scale comparable to the worst despots who have left their bloody mark across history.
Morgan Tsvangirai took his difficult decision and pulled out from the farce of an election, which despite international calls went ahead anyway. And as farce descended into tragedy and back Mugabe was sworn in as president for a sixth term. Many Zimbabweans have been victims of continuing unspeakable violence. For some, a dye-stained finger is the only reason that they are still alive.
And yet, while Mugabe continues to wage war against his own people, South Africa continues to turn her back on their suffering. Even now, President Thabo Mbeki refuses to condemn Mugabe and ZANU PF. He refuses to support the people of Zimbabwe against a tyrannical regime which is worse than the white supremacist, apartheid system which he and his comrades fought against for decades.
Previously I argued that an African solution was needed to stop the suffering. I no longer believe this is possible. Condemnation by South Africa would still have a huge impact across Zimbabwe and the African continent. It would reinforce Mugabe’s status as an international pariah and would embolden other African leaders. But I doubt Mbeki has the political will or the skills to confront Mugabe. And that shame casts a shadow across the whole of Africa.
Over five years ago Peter Tatchell and I met the High Commissioner for South Africa. We expressed our concerns about the human rights abuses in Zimbabwe. We pleaded with her to encourage her government to switch off the electricity which South Africa supplied.
She was confused that two white guys should want to involve themselves in Africa’s problems. She couldn’t see that as members of an oppressed minority we could make connections between the rights we all should enjoy. She ended with: “These problems are ours. We will solve them.” If only they had. If they switched off the electricity it would have signalled that Africa’s problems could be dealt with swiftly by African states. Maybe more people would be alive today.
The Security Council must take action urgently. If we stand by and do nothing we are as bad as Mugabe and the leaders of African States who wring their hands in public and drink with the dictator in private. The time has come for international action.
