Quo vadis Zimbabwe?

The African Union conference at Sharm el-Shekh was a fitting response to the sham Zimbabwean election. In essence, a wishy washy call by African “leaders” for some form of negotiations despite the fact that the parties concerned have effectively ruled it out.

While the USA has confirmed that it is headed for full blown sanctions, and the European Union confirmed that it would only recognise a unity government headed by Tsvangirai, African leaders proved conclusively that the people of Africa are the last thing on their minds.

Indeed, even as they were espousing that the solutions lay with the people of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwean government was ignoring aid agencies’ desperate efforts to resume feeding the five million at risk as a result of the government blocking their vital work.

The Zimbabweans I have to admit did us proud.

They told the world and Africa that they had no right to deter them in what is headed for genocide because very few African leaders have clean hands. In other words because other leaders are barbarians not worthy of the description ‘civilised’, that that justifies decimating your own population.

The African way, or so I’m proudly told.

Their “spokesman” (pity Charles Manson wasn’t available — he could not have done worse) proudly telling the west to go hang themselves a thousand times. Not for Zimbabwe a Kenyan type solution, it must be Zimbabweans resolving their own problems. I need not set out what that means the whole world knows what Zimbabweans do to each other, or let us say, what the government does to its population.

Is the world going to tighten the sanctions or intervene?

Yes and no. Intervention is unlikely but strong sanctions are on the cards. Because my only concern is the masses I pray that sanctions are very seriously considered before they are applied. The people have been reduced to a life expectancy of 37, and they can hardly endure that any more. I would (for what it’s worth) ask world leaders to assess the impact on these poor people. They really are not up to current sanctions.

Of course, with inflation already over a million percent and the economy beyond local redemption the Zanu-PF will be confronted with an implosion of their own making.

No doubt, as South Africans we can brace ourselves for a huge increase in pressure on our poorest communities, and a massive headache in the making for the next government. Added pressure on our economy, in the midst of a global economic crisis, we can anticipate an enormous increase in the fight for food and jobs with its inevitable increase in xenophobia and unrest.

An African “solution” displaying the wisdom and insight of the builders of the Titanic.

Up the creek without a paddle.