Opinion / Columnist
Mugabe AU post welcome, but......
01 Feb 2015 at 13:16hrs | Views
President Robert Mugabe's ascendency to the helm of the African Union as its chairman was no doubt a done deal despite attempts by some quarters to block it.
Mugabe, who turns 91 this month, will now hold one of the most powerful posts on the continent for a year, but no sooner had the announcement been made that questions began to emerge on how he will juggle his other demanding posts as Sadc chairman, President of the Republic and leader of a faction-riddled party.
As we all know, Africa at the moment is riddled with various conflicts ranging from the never-ending bombings by Boko Haram in
Nigeria that have claimed more than 13 000 lives and displaced over a million people since 2009.
The continued conflict in South Sudan, the Central African Republic and instability in Libya will now require his urgent attention.
While Mugabe goes into the history books for being one of Africa's oldest presidents and chairman of two important organs in Africa, Zimbabwe continues to burn politically and economically.
With his now busy schedule, where is he now going to find time to deal with the internal strike that has split his liberation party into two, with one side pitting his former vice president Joice Mujuru and the other strongly in favour of his continued leadership.
With his new role demanding more time on the plane than at home, dealing with his own
internal issues, the economic decay in the country is likely to take a back seat on his agenda as the ambitious Zanu-PF-driven ZimAsset blue print fails to deliver the promised 2,2 million new jobs, 250 000 low income housing units, 310 public schools and 300 clinics and the creation of $7,3 billion in value from its controversial indigenisation policy.
Zimbabweans will undoubtedly become the biggest loser in Mugabe's new appointment as decisions and policies meant to make life better for the ordinary man on the street will not be implemented, as Cabinet will not seat, proven after all major decisions had to wait until his recent return from an extended annual leave.
Diplomatically, it's a boost for Zimbabwe to be at the helm of these bodies, but realistically it is a disaster for Zimbabweans, who continue to desperately await an answer to our continued demise under his leadership.
Mugabe, who turns 91 this month, will now hold one of the most powerful posts on the continent for a year, but no sooner had the announcement been made that questions began to emerge on how he will juggle his other demanding posts as Sadc chairman, President of the Republic and leader of a faction-riddled party.
As we all know, Africa at the moment is riddled with various conflicts ranging from the never-ending bombings by Boko Haram in
Nigeria that have claimed more than 13 000 lives and displaced over a million people since 2009.
The continued conflict in South Sudan, the Central African Republic and instability in Libya will now require his urgent attention.
While Mugabe goes into the history books for being one of Africa's oldest presidents and chairman of two important organs in Africa, Zimbabwe continues to burn politically and economically.
With his now busy schedule, where is he now going to find time to deal with the internal strike that has split his liberation party into two, with one side pitting his former vice president Joice Mujuru and the other strongly in favour of his continued leadership.
With his new role demanding more time on the plane than at home, dealing with his own
internal issues, the economic decay in the country is likely to take a back seat on his agenda as the ambitious Zanu-PF-driven ZimAsset blue print fails to deliver the promised 2,2 million new jobs, 250 000 low income housing units, 310 public schools and 300 clinics and the creation of $7,3 billion in value from its controversial indigenisation policy.
Zimbabweans will undoubtedly become the biggest loser in Mugabe's new appointment as decisions and policies meant to make life better for the ordinary man on the street will not be implemented, as Cabinet will not seat, proven after all major decisions had to wait until his recent return from an extended annual leave.
Diplomatically, it's a boost for Zimbabwe to be at the helm of these bodies, but realistically it is a disaster for Zimbabweans, who continue to desperately await an answer to our continued demise under his leadership.
Source - dailynews
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