Mugabe, the neighbour most in need of a reality check
ZIMBABWEAN President Robert Mugabe made only his secondever state visit to South Africa this past week. That it has taken so long for the Zimbabwean head of state to undertake such a visit after he last did so in August 1994, when Nelson Mandela was still president, speaks volumes about the fraught diplomatic relations between the two countries over the past 21 years.
Considering that the fortunes of South Africa and Zimbabwe are closely linked, it ought to be a good thing that the two governments are now trying to foster a closer working relationship.
Our northern neighbour’s political turmoil of recent years, which precipitated a major economic crisis, has prompted millions of Zimbabweans to pour into South Africa, often illegally, in search of jobs and security.
This influx has caused problems of its own for South Africa, which is already battling with extremely high levels of unemployment, poverty and inequality.
That Mugabe, during his joint news conference with President Jacob Zuma, could — with a straight face — thank South Africans for accommodating these economic refugees, without taking responsibility for having caused them to leave their own land in the first place, speaks of a leader who is out of touch with reality.
Although both his government and Pretoria denied that the Zanu-PF leader’s main reason for coming to South Africa was to ask for money to pay the salaries of civil servants, there can be no denying that the Zimbabwean government is broke. Mugabe’s finance minister, Patrick Chinamasa, confirmed that he had approached private institutions in South Africa for help in accessing new credit lines.
What no one can deny is that Zimbabwe is in the financial mess that it is because of decades of misrule by the Mugabe government.
Yet here at home, a frighteningly large number of people still treat the 91-year-old Mugabe as a hero who should be celebrated and never criticised. This mentality was evident when he met and greeted excited Zuma ministers on Wednesday.
It was also demonstrated by the enthusiastic reception he received from Soweto residents when he visited the Hector Pietersen Museum.
Yes, we need better working relations with Zimbabwe, and yes, we should also accept that Mugabe is the legitimately elected leader of that country. But a hero he is not. Not to us, and certainly not to his people. By celebrating him, we are sending a terrible message to our country and people. We are saying we are a nation that does not appreciate the fundamental need for human rights and good governance if our country and region are to prosper.