Improving Democracy In Zimbabwe

The autocratic ruler of the Southern African states of Zimbabwe, President Robert Gabriel Mugabe and leader of Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic front; ZANU-PF, Marxist-Leninist who came to power through the nationalist and liberation struggle in April 18, 1980; Had overstayed in saddle of power and demonstrate once again the weakness of African leadership in power.

I used to be admirer of Zimbabwean's President in the 1980,s because of his national liberation struggle position. He appears Pan-Africanist, calm and firm when others political conservatives seem bent on endless conferences, and magnificent dinners.

Presently, I did not hate him but his policies on the sad state of Zimbabwe today.

Robert Mugabe 90 years old was a trained teacher of old progressive class, nationalist, freedom fighter and hero of the liberation struggle in Southern Africa, while the west called him Militant or Guerrilla leader when he was in the bush fighting for the emancipation of his people during the cold-war era.

Republic of Zimbabwe was formerly called Southern Rhodesia was a British colony under the leadership of United declaration of Independence (UDI) in 1965 by late British puppet Ian Smith and fight a brutal war to keep Rhodesia white minority rule against the nationalist struggle of Mugabe and his contemporaries in the liberation movement , the nationalist forces gain decisive victory against the racist rule in Southern Rhodesia, namely late Dr Joshua Nkomo of Zimbabwe African People's Union, ZAPU, Rev Ndabaningi Sithole , main leader of Zimbabwe African National Union ZANU and moderate leader Bishop Abel Muzorewa of The United African National Council (UACN)

Since, coming to power the age African leader had cultivated personality of cult in terms of reforms on the agricultural sector, the mainstay of the Zimbabwean economy. The Mugabe ZANU-PF one party rule was characterized by authoritarianism, nepotism, tribalism, corruption and the glorification of the mediocrity, which provided fertile ground for many cronies to rise from rags to riches.

Overtime, Mugabe did not enjoy popular support, because of lack of democratic culture exhibited and the threat of land -reform programme, locally known as indigenization project by the government in Harare formerly Salisbury had greatly affected the Zimbabwean economy in recent times, due to sanctions by the western world; had nearly crippled the once prosperous nation.

It is alarming that the Zimbabwean dollars is weak cannot be able to purchase anything. Democracy with poverty is meaningless to the downtrodden masses. Freedom should lead to economic well-being. What I consider to be the most crucial issue in Zimbabwean politics relates to national leadership that had engulfed the state since Independence in 1980 can be traced to his nationalist struggle. Despite these grieves short comings, Robert Mugabe manage to ensure that the State apparatus functioned, but the worst, he was in control of his lieutenants.

On Independence, Mugabe was elected Prime-Minister of Government, in 1980 and served in that capacity until December, 1987, when he became the country's first Executive President and a one party state run by his political party ZANU-PF and since then, agent's of Papa Mugabe of Harare has carried out human right abuses against his political opponents among whom are the late Dr. Joshua Nkomo of ZAPU in Matabeleland and Mr. Morgan Tsvangirai's of Movement for Democracy Change ( MDC ), and Many of his close allies, in government position exhibited an ordinate appetite for greed and unbridled corruption in flagrant violation of minimum norms of human decency, meanwhile, the large majority of the citizenry wallowed in abject poverty and various forms of social deprivation.

Africa can no longer afford to have Sit-tight and in-competent leadership. Zimbabwe has the highest literacy rate in Africa at 90% of the population; however bad policies had led to collapse of the educational sector.

I certainty agree that President Mugabe is under-achiever. Despite being a highly educated teacher and a veteran of liberation war, it is generally view that under Mugabe conspiracy theory of dictatorship, Zimbabwean's are still under colonization.

There are a numbers of democratic concepts that are important. Generally the concept of democracy is hailed as the best form of leadership and involving the governed in government. Voting is the expression of the will of the people, the electorates as to who should be their leaders and is the acclaimed standard, national elections are held and all citizens of a nation chose their candidates of choice.

For the nation to move ahead and make meaningful contribution towards redressing the past, Socio-political injustice in the development process, an enabling democratic need to be nurtured and sustained .

It is worth remembering that the so-called touch-bearer of the African nationalist is the first President of South Africa late Nelson Mandela. What makes Mandela different is that when his first term in office elapsed, he quietly goes to his house; a remarkable African elder statesman.

In 2013, Mugabe was re-elected President for seventh term in disputed election in which there were numerous known accounts of vote rigging and fraud carried out by the ZANU-PF loyalist in connivance with the electorates body and the security forces.

Furthermore ,the long serving President has influenced the nomination of his wife Grace, 49 she was his former personal secretary he married in 1996 to head the ruling ZANU-PF party's women league August, 2014 as ploy to succeed him.

It is alarming that the Zimbabwe first lady Grace Mugabe participation in partisan politics would be divisive and may cause more disturbances in the country. If Robert Mugabe want his wife to be the head of the political leadership of his ruling ZANU-PF to outsmart the others in the race for leadership; he has murder politics in Zimbabwe.

My position, among others, is that only the people, the electorates have the right not the absolute ruler Mugabe. The political process we are witnessing in Zimbabwe today is a negative political experience which the continent of Africa cannot learned from and could be the nail in the coffin for the Mugabe dynasty.

He should revive the spirit he showed us in the nationalist liberation struggle in the 1960s – 80s and politics should be about ideas and how these ideas are translated into better living conditions for the people.

A ''nation first'' concept is the best, like in Nigeria the largest country in Africa, regionalism and ethnic supremacy have dominated our political cultured in recent time.

For almost 4 decades, the Hausa-Fulani have ruled the nation, called Nigeria. The only time a Southern Minority Christian from the Ijaw ethnic group; home to the mainstay of the national economy, President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan is voted into power, ''Problem''.

The political and regional lslamist terrorist group called Boko-Haram who have massacred thousands of innocent Nigerians and made the Northeastern region highly militarized. Has polarized the states, the forthcoming general elections in 2015 and the security threats under democratic dispensation will affect national development, why Africa.

I know that someday, the good people of Zimbabwe will have a patriotic, forthrightness, dedicated and visionary leadership that will usher in peace, unity, freedom, justice and equality for all citizens, to rebuilding the failing institutions in the country.

Jinbobaraye Karibo-Nelson, SIPM, FECRMI,
A social commentator and security analyst, a Senior member Chartered Institute of Public Management Nigeria, Full member Emergency, Crisis and Risk Management Institute of Nigeria.

Nigeria writes from Ogu Town, Rivers State, Port Harcourt via [email protected],www.karibonelson.com