Robert Mugabe, the former President of Zimbabwe ousted recently by a military coup, had many quotable quotes to his credit. For example “Racism will never end as long as white cars are still using black tyres. Racism will never end if people still use black to symbolise bad luck and white for peace. Racism will never end as long as those who don’t pay their bills are blacklisted not whitelisted. Even when playing snooker you haven’t won until you have sunk the black ball and the white ball must remain on the table.”
This ouster is the end of an era for both Zimbabwe and its towering long-time leader Robert Mugabe. After the coup, he has also been removed as head of the ruling party. What Mugabe offered his nation in the past was political stability. The flab that has built up over the past 30 years made his governance lose its vigour. Widespread corruption that Mugabe could not control added to the public concern.
Wife Grace’s actions created more discomfiture among the masses and in various levels of the bureaucracy. This reached a high point when it was rumoured that she is moving cards in ways as to succeed her husband as President.
For decades, Mugabe occupied a unique position in Africa, second only to that of South African Independence leader Nelson Mandela. Both came to public life by forming part of the resistance movement against White supremacy. With a steely resolve against White colonisation and exploitation of Africa, Mugabe’s words explained his bitterness: “The only White man you can trust is a dead White man.”
With a cherished revolutionary past, he acted as the second most powerful leader in Zimbabwe’s government for seven years before taking over as President in 1987. He steered the nation with considerable grit and determination. But, age apparently took a toll on him; he also having held the unique distinction of being the oldest serving leader, at age 93.
His ideological frame of mind helped him in his political pursuits — starting with Marxism-Leninism, shifting to socialism and ending up with his own brand of Mugabeism — all rooted in a will to uplift the poor. Ideology by itself did not however help Zimbabwe’s poor breathe easy. Their economic conditions seemingly worsened under Mugabe.
Economic growth remained very little under his long innings. Notably, however, the improvements in social indices like education and healthcare were remarkable.
Several of Mugabe’s policies were controversial, like the forceful grabbing of land from the Whites; the abrupt action leading to a famine and sufferings for his people.
While he could bring about some progress for Zimbabwe, on the negative side, his good steps were overshadowed by accusations of economic mismanagement, reigning corruption, racial discrimination, dictatorship and ballot defrauding.
All of these combined to raise the mass mood against him, the advantage apparently going to former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa who had recently been ousted from the post by Mugabe.
Despite having a large spread of natural resources, Africa as a whole is failing to catch up with global growth. Only a few nations have been able to make commendable strides in economic development. South Africa itself has been seeing ups and downs in the years after it won Independence.
Active roles by churches since the colonial times made some difference to public life, social emancipation, healthcare and spread of education. But their insidious activities were very prominent in Africa. Tribal leaders who rose to positions of governance have not been able to change life for the better in several nations in Africa. Several of these nations are rich in oil and mineral wealth.
A change in Zimbabwe is the order of things and must be seen in a positive light for the reason that Mugabe has outlived his time and his health is on the downslide as is evident from repeated hospitalisations in Singapore in recent months.
With his exit from power, Africa is set to witness a generational shift, though the man who is set to succeed him is himself of the old generation and known for extremes of the worst kind, like corruption, dictatorship and vote-rigging.
No immediate change in the fortunes of Zimbabwe is thus foreseen. At best or worst, a political churning has started in the African nation, with the military calling the shots from front and from behind. How things will pan out remains to be seen.
