Zuma’s chance to break with the past

Having met with Prime Minister Tsvangirai to discuss the state of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) President Zuma has now been presented with a chance to break with the past. It is encouraging that he acknowledged that there are weighty issues holding back the full consummation of the GPA.

Under the presidency of Thabo Mbeki the South African government had adopted a ‘hear no evil; see no evil’ approach to Mugabe’s transgressions. Mbeki was always willing to openly criticise the MDC and its leadership while maintaining a policy of ‘quiet diplomacy’ for Zanu PF and Robert Mugabe. This approach allowed Mugabe to act with impunity and, among other things, allowed Zanu PF thugs to continue maiming and killing innocent people for daring to oppose their leader. Most Zimbabweans felt betrayed by Mbeki both as South African president and as the SADC mediator. It is for this reason that many will not be excited by the pronouncements of President Zuma that he will intervene to ensure the GPA is fully implemented. No one can blame us for being sceptical because for years we have been disappointed by those who wielded the power to change our desperate political situation.

President Zuma now has a chance to change our perception of the Presidency in South Africa. We have come to associate the South African Presidency with those who appease Robert Mugabe without the courage to confront him when the need arises. Zuma now has a chance to break with this past. President Zuma has the power to change the situation in Zimbabwe if he chooses to put his foot down. What Zimbabweans are asking of Zuma is not that he just criticises Mugabe without cause but that he attempts to get to the bottom of the problems bedevilling the GPA. If he is to break with the past he must make an honest assessment of the situation in Zimbabwe before deciding who is stalling the progress of the unity government. Zuma must be prepared to criticise both Zanu PF and MDC where there is evidence that they are prolonging the suffering of Zimbabweans by not keeping their commitments under the GPA. The basis of criticism should be the terms of the GPA not personal like or dislike of the signatories to the GPA. In the past Thabo Mbeki allowed his personal dislike of Morgan Tsvangirai to cloud his judgement and he also allowed his elitist mentality to influence his dealings with Tsvangirai and Mugabe. Personal relationships became more important than rescuing Zimbabweans from the political and economic abyss. Zuma is not cut from the same elitist stone that Mbeki and Mugabe are cut from. He has made a big issue of his ‘common’ roots and we hope that this time we have a South African President who is on the side of ordinary people.

As President Zuma goes to speak to Robert Mugabe about the ‘weighty’ issues threatening the GNU in Zimbabwe I hope that he will be objective, fair and firm with all the signatories to the GPA. I hope that he will not allow personalities and relationships to cloud his judgement. He should rely only on the letter and spirit of the GPA to determine who has not kept their side of the deal. This is a chance for Zuma to break with the past or to join Mbeki in defending Mugabe at all costs. We wait with baited breath!