South Africa: Mbeki - a Brave, Principled Man
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 Published by the government of Zimbabwe |
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The Herald (Harare)
OPINION
31 July 2008
Posted to the web 31 July 2008
Obi Egbuna
Harare
WHEN the history of Zimbabwe is told, one point that everyone across the board from President Mugabe's closest comrades and friends to his most antagonistic detractors will have to admit is that the Zimbabwean leader is a grandmaster when it comes to articulating the nation's vision.
If the adage "experience is the best teacher" is true then it is no secret why articulating the country's politics comes as naturally to President Mugabe as walking or eating.
Many people throughout the world got their first real glimpse of President Mugabe during the 1979 Lancaster House talks, where both British prime minister Margaret Thatcher and US president Jimmy Carter openly admitted they were awe-struck by President Mugabe's brilliance and vision.
The world has really had a chance to see President Mugabe display his courage on the world stage numerous times since then; his stern and uncompromising message to former British prime minister Tony Blair is still used as a cellphone ring tone by many Zimbabweans almost six years on.
His presentation at the African Union Summit in Egypt last month and his brilliant paper at the EU-Africa Summit at the end of last year are among the more recent of his eloquent vision.
It is at these platforms, more than anywhere else, that the world has come to see that US and British imperialism have been hypocritical and reactionary in their handling of Zimbabwe.
While they tell anyone who still listens that all they want is for democracy to take its course in Zimbabwe, it is clear that they are ever ready to use undemocratic means to subvert Zimbabwe's internal political and economic processes.
Why does the US Ambassador to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation keep trying to stop the President from speaking at these gatherings?
Why did Prime Minister Gordon Brown stay away from the EU-Africa Summit in Portugal?
The reality is that President Mugabe and Zanu-PF have so much leverage at this point in the struggle to defend Zimbabwe's sovereignty on the international arena through the support of the country's brothers and sisters in the Sadc region.
And the shining example of this support is none other than South Africa's leader President Thabo Mbeki.
It was no accident that President Mugabe went out of his way during his remarks at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding to not only thank President Mbeki for his tireless efforts but to also highlight his contributions to positive political developments in Zimbabwe.
President Mugabe pointed to Constitution of Zimbabwe (Amendment) Act Number 18, the various amendments to the Public Order and Security Act and the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
While the common perception throughout the African world is that the reason why President Mbeki was collectively chosen by Sadc to facilitate the talks between Zanu-PF and both formations of the MDC was because during the time he headed both Nepad and the African Union, he dealt with conflicts in Burundi, Rwanda and Cote d'Ivoire.
In a nutshell, he has experienced far greater internal stand-offs than what obtained in Zimbabwe.
When assessing President Mbeki's suitability for the task assigned to him, we must also look at his family background.
It should not be overlooked that President Mbeki is the biological son of the freedom fighter and national hero Cde Govan Mbeki and his brother Jama was an ardent supporter of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania.
His involvement in national politics started at the tender age of 14 and at that time Cde Thabo Mbeki was already exposed to the myriad opinions that exist within the national body politic.
The other crucial point in understanding President Mbeki for people across the globe is that he personally knows what serious internal conflict is, its manifestations and how it can be best dealt with.
He has steadfastly said the military route is not an option at all and this is attributable to the fact that he lived through such a history and has read a similar history from other countries.
One only has to look at what happened to Maurice Bishop in Grenada and Salvador Allende in Chile who were murdered in cold blood because of their refusal to listen to American dictates.
Relevant Links
Our collective historical memory also tells us that comrades Patrice Lumumba and Amilcar Cabral were overthrown because of their defence of their countries' respective sovereignty.
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Read comments. Write your own.
Give me a break. Who is Mbeki? A puppet of Mugabe. The South African leader who most feared Mugabe. A man who cannot stand on his feet, and waits for Bob to say jump. Mbeki and Mugabe are a disgrace to the hardworking men and women of South Africa and Zimbabwe. If there is an island for evil men... Please ship Mugabe & Mbeki and leave them there to rot in eternity.
hello Africa indeed Mbeki is a brave man.i wish all African presidents were all like him indeed we would have been far more developed than today's level.if Mugabe takes the right path and agrees what President Mbeki is up to then Zimbabwe is going to achieve peace. Thanks.
Mbeki a brave and principled man.......?????? Hello???...What planet are you from???? That is the most ridiculous thing I've read in a long time---and I read the Zim Herald....LOL....too funny.
Dear Cde Obi,
I commend you for a very comprehensive and unbiased article. Just a short note in support of your comments.
Blaise Compaore – a cold blooded murderer who out of fear of being exposed as corrupt shamelessly and mercilessly rubbed his companion the visionary Thomas Sankara out.
Raila Odinga – a very prominent opportunist politician who knows how to play his cards in whatever situation.
Mama Sirleaf – a long time parasite of the Oval office who has served in almost all the past regimes including Doe’s.
Papa Yardua – a puppet of papa Oleshegun Obasanjo who… [Read Full Text]
Is this a PR campaign by Mugabe? He knows the people of Zimbabwe are after his head, so he spins to his benefit. Mugabe and Mbeki's trackroads are not good for the future of Southern Africa. Herald is now the PR machine for Mugabe.
I can understand the vision i.e. that an X on the ballot paper is not enough to remove him from power. That only God could remove him from power. Vision indeed. Mercy!
I agree with Obi 100%.Even though bob is not perfect, he can,t be the worst around ,there are worse than him.His only sin is for taking African land stolen by rampaging settlers and giving it back to Africans,that,s why bbc,cnn,fox news paint him as the worst evil to ever come out of the world.We will not fall for racist inspired sound bytes coming from the west.Some contributors give the impression that Black people will never be able to stand up and ask for their rights,those days are long gone.As for the descendants of white thieves that came to zimbabwe to… [Read Full Text]
Wow, now that I've read this I really want to give Mugabe and Mbeki a big hug. These guys aren't corrupt. I can't believe other media sources around the world report that kind of stuff. Why can't they be more honest and fair like you guys are?
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After reading the drivel firstly of this article and then the comments , it is sickening. Mugabe has repeatedly shown what kind of person he is and yet some of the morons here defend him , trying to quote African history to justify their ownership of the land and their hero worship of him and now Mbeki or as many Africans call him behind his back "nkwenkwe". African history shows the Bushmen of the Kalahari to have occupied the land first and forced off their land by stronger Hottentot then Bantu tribes. I read a posted comment… [Read Full Text]