DEAR EDITOR AFRICA last Thursday snubbed the inauguration of President Robert Mugabe, a clear statement that the continent is ashamed to be associated with the robbery of 31 July.
The fact that only a handful of serving African leaders attended the farce at the National Sports Stadium indicates how Mugabe’s self-proclaimed victory remains a non-issue in Africa.
In fact, there were more former Presidents than serving African leaders at the banquet, an indication that the 89-year-old is viewed as a figure of the past.
His continued presence on the political stage is an embarrassment, not only in Sadc, but to the rest of Africa which is increasingly resorting to younger leaders with a grasp of how to manage a modern economy in the brave 21st century.
While we salute the AU and Sadc for noting the irregularities around the last election, African leaders spoke louder through their absence at Thursday’s event which Zanu PF had claimed would be attended by at least 40 heads of State.
Mugabe’s speech confirmed that Zimbabwe is headed for the usual doom under Zanu PF. Sounding like a broken record and sticking to the same old script of failed policies, Mugabe promised to advance the expropriation agenda which has brought Zimbabwe to its knees.
Instead of expanding the cake, Mugabe talked about indigenising what is left of Zimbabwe’s once thriving industry. By his own admission, Zimbabwe’s industry now resembles a scrapyard. Under his watch, to which he admitted on Thursday, Zimbabwe has become a net importer of finished goods while continuing to create jobs for other countries by our continued export of raw materials.
In his inauguration speech, Mugabe dismally failed to inspire national confidence about a new direction and a new set of policies. He failed to articulate any new priorities of the new government and the new policy thrust that would extricate the country from its current doldrums.
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His empty rhetoric confirmed what we have always said that the authors of the country’s problems cannot be expected to have the solutions. Yesterday’s people cannot solve today’s problems. Today’s problems need today’s people.
The struggle for a new Zimbabwe is far from over. Thursday’s event marked the beginning of the end for a regime which has brought misery in the past three decades.
Zimbabwe is a country of heroes and heroines. We are a nation of brave people who shall continue to fight for change and real transformation. That change will come well within our lifetime. MDC-T INFORMATION, DEPARTMENT
