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Notes towards an endgame
It will be a long hot summer in Zimbabwe. Presidential elections, scheduled for March 2008, offer the next hope of a way out of the quagmire. For President Robert Mugabe, the ballot brings the chance of a "legitimate" exit -- either by accepting defeat or, buoyed by victory, a voluntary retirement after 28 years in power.
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A tough job for Mbeki
Free, fair polls can be held only where there exists an environment that seeks to provide popular participation, promotes human rights, guarantees fundamental freedoms, ensures accountability of the government and freedom of the judiciary and press, and protects and respects political pluralism. None of these conditions exist in Zimbabwe.
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In search of free and fair
"Free and fair elections are the foundation of democratic governance, as they enable the people to exercise their sovereign right to constitute a government of their choice." Huge changes are needed if the next polls are to reflect the true will of Zimbabwe's people, writes Welshman Ncube, secretary general of the Movement for Democratic Change.
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Muzzling the watchdog
"Challenging Zimpapers was no picnic. We told a story that the Herald would not tell -- the story of how 20 years of independence had not yielded the milk and honey for which nearly 30 000 people died." A free and courageous press has helped Zimbabwe, but hopes for a watershed election in 2008 may be disappointed, argues Bill Saidi.
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When would-be heroes turn bad
"Then take Zimbabwe's registrar general, Tobaiwa Mudede. After independence he displayed humility and kindness, helping many people in many different ways ... Yet, over the years, Mudede became one of the most villainous faces of the Mugabe regime." This is an edited extract of Through the Darkness: A Life in Zimbabwe by Judith Garfield Todd.
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Stop the money presses
There is inflation, high inflation and then there is hyperinflation. The first one is acceptable, the second worrying and the third is a nightmare. Zimbabwe falls in the latter camp. Hyperinflation, put simply, is very high inflation. A country is usually classified as having hyperinflation when the monthly inflation rate is greater than 50%.
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Home ... tomorrow
Street vendors, lawyers, restaurant staff, doctors, gardeners and office accountants -- all are among a growing number of Zimbabweans who have fled the chaos of their country for refuge in South Africa. Virtually all agree that, although they love Zimbabwe, they do not want to return until conditions improve.
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A recipe for recovery
An economic transformation is Zimbabwe is readily possible. The country has a wealth of assets which, if properly used, can fuel a vibrant economy. It has fertile land, but that land must be used constructively and productively. It has vast wealth under that land, including uranium, platinum, gold, diamonds, nickel, coal, methane gas and more.
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Reversing the freefall
"In 1992, when I first become interested in Zimbabwe, I learned that it had challenges, but was one of the clear jewels of Africa." Now a bold new economic recovery plan, including securing property rights, is needed in Zimbabwe, writes United States Professor Craig Richardson.
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Steps to help Zim, but only after Mugabe
Any economic recovery strategy in Zimbabwe will have to be driven by Zimbabweans, but will require international support, spanning the full range of aid, debt relief, and private finance. Here are five constructive steps that the international community should take.
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Life on the breadline
"Grocery shopping is the biggest stress in my day-to-day life as I cannot afford to buy much. Groceries are so expensive that quality of life has been reduced to a mere existence." Even for working professionals, the cost of living in Zimbabwe has made essentials like petrol, medicine and food, unaffordable, says Polite Makowa.
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Whose Zimbabwe economy?
For the country's first post-Mugabe government, perhaps as early as next March if elite deal-making unfolds as promised, job number two, after restoring a semblance of democracy, is economic. Given the meltdown of Robert Mugabe's version of crony-statist-capitalism, the new model chosen will reverberate across the world.
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Unions stand firm against onslaught
Zimbabwe's trade-union leaders and members have been murdered, arrested, tortured and beaten -- but their determination to overcome oppression is firmer than ever, writes Zwelinzima Vavi, general secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions.
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No handouts, please
The promise of aid is a carrot used by Western nations to bring feuding groups to the negotiating table. Americans and the British, among others, dangled the carrot of aid for land reform and reconstruction to secure agreement from Zimbabwe's liberation war leaders to the new Constitution brokered in 1979 at Lancaster House in London.
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Poised for literature's last laugh
There is no "fast track" when it comes to producing literature. Creative writing takes time to produce, and an even longer time to be culturally processed to become a social force that can influence social change. But the link between politics and literature is undeniable, and both politicians and writers know this.
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A disabling case of writer's block
To a man who has only a hammer, every problem he encounters looks like a nail. So said the American psychologist Abraham Maslow -- and, being a writer, I find myself in a similar position. I happen to have only a pen, and every problem that crosses my path resembles a story in need of fixing.
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Looking to history for salvation
Judge Richard Goldstone served on South Africa's Benches during apartheid and, for nine years, was a member of the first Constitutional Court of democratic South Africa. Nicole Fritz asks Goldstone what Zimbabwe could learn from the transition experiences of Rwanda and former Yugoslavia.
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'Where justice is denied, not guaranteed'
The reputation of Zimbabwe's judiciary is in tatters. The public seem to have lost all confidence in the country's judges, whose attitudes and interpretation of law they find questionable, and in most instances where politically motivated crimes are being dealt with by the courts.
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Women's struggle for equity goes on
Despite numerous laws protecting the rights of women, they are still bearing the brunt of economic and physical hardships in the country. It is important for greater attention to be paid to the effects of certain policies on the lives of women, writes Dr Fareda Banda.
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The voice of the people must be heard
Good government has to be of the people, by the people and for the people. All these elements have been lacking under the sad, dark days of Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF dictatorship. All the people of Zimbabwe, not just the new political leaders, need to take control of their own destiny.
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Learning from Iraq
"Today, the hand of a malevolent force can be felt in all corners of Zimbabwe. This sinister presence first made itself felt in the massacres carried out by the Fifth Brigade in Matabeleland in the 1980s. That force is a legacy of Mugabe's rule -- and it will outlive him," writes Tim Collins.
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Zimbabwe: A nation humbled
Three great foreign policy relationships will need to be addressed after Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. The first concerns the West and is of prime economic importance. The second is the burgeoning rapport between Harare and the Chinese. The third is the delicate question of how to manage the irrevocable influence of South Africa.
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How to free the media in Zimbabwe
After Robert Mugabe goes, Zimbabweans will have to face the fact that they have not enjoyed freedom of expression and a free media to the extent they should have as a modern and independent nation. Zimbabwe remains one of few countries in the world where the government still monopolises broadcasting and controls the largest print media company.
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Reforming the media
Weak unions, a state-controlled public media, poorly trained and paid journalists and a Constitution that ignores freedom of the press are just some of the pressing problems facing the media profession in Zimbabwe, writes Wallace Chuma. Media reform can be possible only if there are broader reforms in the nature of society and the state.
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A fresh start
In the unlikely event that President Robert Mugabe loses the presidential election in 2008, this should not be an opportunity for trading one dictatorship with another. It should be a process that allows for meaningful and inclusive participation by the people who for so long have been denied a voice to determine their own destiny.
| | More Features |
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A nation in decay
Zimbabwe is ready for a new revolution
Brave and confused
Ensuring the global rule of law
Mugabe: Hostility from all sides
The scales of amnesty
The military question
At the centre of the future
Meeting the army commander
Aluta continua
In defiance of Africa's freedom charter
The scramble for influence
Out of sync with the neighbours
Invitation or intervention?
Success in a rough neighbourhood
International community should speak up and act
Getting a good deal
A terrible price
Land reform: The art of the possible
Land ownership: More democratic, but too politicised
Rough justice
A new, humble Zimbabwe
The day after Mugabe
Back to the future
MDC: A failure to oppose
Violence and whispers
Everywhere in my life
Between an ostrich and a flamingo
The 'Mugabe way'
Tyranny remains the same everywhere
Britain could be a partner
Dear Mr President ...
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In this supplement series
Reporting from a range of locations -- including Harare, Johannesburg, Beijing, Boston, London, New York and Cape Town -- more than 30 contributors provide sharp, original commentary and reports on the crisis in Zimbabwe and the challenges of the future.
Read about:
Zimbabwe’s intractable land question;
national reconstruction after the departure of Mugabe;
the role of the army in Zimbabwean politics;
the rule of law, justice and peace building;
economic affairs, international aid and foreign policy;
Zimbabwean literature and views from Zimbabwe’s diaspora;
the state of Zimbabwe’s economy; and
the future of Zimbabwe-China relations.
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What has been said about building a new Zim
“Zimbabweans must learn from the recent history of aborted transitions that even those fighting for democracy will be tempted to seek to control the media when they begin to face the difficult challenges of actually governing.” -- Tawana Kupe on media reform
“The country’s media profession would be better served by competent, self-regulated and independent unions that fully address issues of ethical practice and the rights of journalists in society and in the workplace.” -- Wallace Chuma on media reform
“Given the meltdown of Robert Mugabe’s version of crony-statist-capitalism, a system hostile to the poor and working people, the new model chosen will reverberate across the world. -- Patrick Bond on economic reform
“Zimbabwe has a lot of ... complicated problems to work through, including a probable need for foreign aid. But the country should move quickly away from any dependence on the outside world to maintain its sovereignty, pride and incentives to produce. One strong focus should be on quickly moving to restore property rights.’’ -- Craig Richardson on economic reform
“Robert Mugabe’s reign is surely one of Africa’s most tragic cases of squandered opportunity and unnecessary suffering. If the international community could not protect the people from their leaders’ greed and tyranny, at least they can help to rebuild after they are gone.” -- Todd Moss on foreign aid
“Good government has to be of the people, by the people and for the people. All these elements have been lacking under Robert Mugabe’s dictatorship. The people of Zimbabwe need to take control of their own destiny. Minority groups, women, those in rural areas and urban dwellers must be confident they can influence decisions that affect their lives.” -- Kate Hoey on governance
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