Zim lesson for SA

THE perception among many is that Robert Mugabe would have ruled until he died. The assertion may have been a reality if he did not fire his deputy to make way for his wife Grace. As you get older and maybe too attached to power you tend to forget about the people who put you there. Maybe Mugabe and Jacob Zuma must be told that leadership is not sexually transmitted.

Mugabe underestimated his army, thinking they will legitimise his wife as the next president. He should have known the army would find it odd saluting anyone without struggle credentials like the ruling Zanu-PF unless maybe after a democratic election.

That was a colossal error of misjudgement by Mugabe that expedited his resignation. If the status quo remained and had he not fired his deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa he would still be in power.

Mnangagwa is not beyond reproach also being implicated in human rights violations and a dedicated follower of Mugabe until the fallout. Zanu cadres carried out massive corruption and selfenrichment, thereby failing to carry out the people’s demand for total liberation and emancipation.

At one stage Z$100 trillion notes were printed because of hyper-inflation. In 2008 the Zimbabwean inflation rate was estimated at 76.8 billion percent a month. A staggering 86% of young people of working age are unemployed.

May the fortunes in Zimbabwe change. An important lesson that can be learnt is that no violent coup is required to get rid of a leader. No schools or universities were burnt, nobody was injured or killed. Zimbawe was said to have one of the best education systems in the world. Education builds character but an educated nation also needs a progressive government interested in its people to grow.

The cornerstone of any democratic government is the eradication of corruption. This is a definite lesson for South Africa. Vijay Surujpal Phoenix