Opinion / Columnist
How Sadc slammed the door on democracy - Biti
02 Sep 2013 at 17:00hrs | Views
So it thus came as a surprise a few weeks ago when Sadc leaders chose Zimbabwe as the next chair of Sadc. How do you appoint amongst you, the most contested.
Zimbabwe had been in the agenda of Sadc incessantly since March 2007.It had been there on 15 June 2013 in Maputo, where clearly there was almost agreement on its non compliance.
In Malawi ,the very fact that Summit itself could not use the term ,free fair credible and legitimate was an understanding that it was an election that did not pass the test.
Instead shamelessly they invented new lexicon never heard of in election language ,fair and peaceful.
Leadership of Sadc like leadership in general requires strengths and impeachability. How does Zimbabwe point a finger at any Sadc country in breach of Sadc standards?
The old challenge that you point a finger at some one but four are pointing at you. The old challenge of throwing stones at some one when you are in a glass house,and in the case of Zimbabwe you do not even have the glass house.
As the Good Book says in Mathew 7. "And why do you look at the speck in your brother s eye ,but do not consider the plank in your own eye Hypocrite ,first remove the plank from your eye....."
Zimbabwe does not have a plank in its eye .It is the plank .
Adebayo Adedeji is one of Nigeria s top civil servants who served as Economic Development Minister between 1972-75 and later went on among other things to head the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
One of my favorite statements from him pertained to his country s lack of standing in providing leadership to the African Continent in the post Cold War era.
He put his case as follows:
"No country that is confronted with a long period of political instability, economic stagnation and regression ,and is reputed to be one of the most corrupt societies in the world has the moral basis
to lead others. If it tries to, it will be resisted"
SADC is full of decent men and women. I will maintain so ,in spite of everything to date. I know a lot of Wananchi would dis agree. So the question then is why was such a timelessly unwise decision made.
My suspicion is that we are still a long way away from regional leaders that think beyond power.
Leaders who when push comes to the shove will put the interests of the citizens and the Wananchi before everything else. Self less individuals who are beyond the narrow realm of power for power s sake.
Of course this is a general statement. Wananchi, there was grand scheme. Keep the international community out of Zimbabwe.
Therefore maintain the charade of dialogue and reform. Create a new precedent of rigging for all of Africa. Pretend nothing has happened.
This is exactly what happened. The stolen Zimbabwean election is new template for the whole of Africa.
If the revolutionary party has gotten away with it so blatantly ,which President on the African continent "will lose an election."
Thus the rape of Zimbabwean democracy is a rape for the entire continent s democracy.
Thus we are going to se the export of the Zimbabwean model into the rest of Africa. Trust me. Malawi ,despite Joyce Banda s democratic credentials we knew ,has reportedly hired Nikuv and Zimbabwe to help Malawi prepare her voter roll.
Cry the beloved continent. The act of appointing Zimbabwe Sadc chair is therefore a cherry in the pudding.
A slap in the face to all democrats, Zimbabweans and the international community. A statement that this issue is closed. We can rig ,there is nothing you can do about it.
In short ,the death of diplomacy and international law. What shame ,what crass shame.
Wananchi, the democratic deficit in the continent is huge and shocking.
I have tried to do exposé this in the previous post ,and by public demand I will do a sequel .on the monsters ,I left out.I will enjoy visiting Nigeria ,Ghana, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Libya. Egypt, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Most importantly I will enjoy Zimbabwe. We love this country so much. We will not flee or flinch.
This country must return to legitimacy and soon.
Zikomo
Zimbabwe had been in the agenda of Sadc incessantly since March 2007.It had been there on 15 June 2013 in Maputo, where clearly there was almost agreement on its non compliance.
In Malawi ,the very fact that Summit itself could not use the term ,free fair credible and legitimate was an understanding that it was an election that did not pass the test.
Instead shamelessly they invented new lexicon never heard of in election language ,fair and peaceful.
Leadership of Sadc like leadership in general requires strengths and impeachability. How does Zimbabwe point a finger at any Sadc country in breach of Sadc standards?
The old challenge that you point a finger at some one but four are pointing at you. The old challenge of throwing stones at some one when you are in a glass house,and in the case of Zimbabwe you do not even have the glass house.
As the Good Book says in Mathew 7. "And why do you look at the speck in your brother s eye ,but do not consider the plank in your own eye Hypocrite ,first remove the plank from your eye....."
Zimbabwe does not have a plank in its eye .It is the plank .
Adebayo Adedeji is one of Nigeria s top civil servants who served as Economic Development Minister between 1972-75 and later went on among other things to head the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
One of my favorite statements from him pertained to his country s lack of standing in providing leadership to the African Continent in the post Cold War era.
He put his case as follows:
"No country that is confronted with a long period of political instability, economic stagnation and regression ,and is reputed to be one of the most corrupt societies in the world has the moral basis
to lead others. If it tries to, it will be resisted"
SADC is full of decent men and women. I will maintain so ,in spite of everything to date. I know a lot of Wananchi would dis agree. So the question then is why was such a timelessly unwise decision made.
My suspicion is that we are still a long way away from regional leaders that think beyond power.
Leaders who when push comes to the shove will put the interests of the citizens and the Wananchi before everything else. Self less individuals who are beyond the narrow realm of power for power s sake.
Of course this is a general statement. Wananchi, there was grand scheme. Keep the international community out of Zimbabwe.
Therefore maintain the charade of dialogue and reform. Create a new precedent of rigging for all of Africa. Pretend nothing has happened.
This is exactly what happened. The stolen Zimbabwean election is new template for the whole of Africa.
If the revolutionary party has gotten away with it so blatantly ,which President on the African continent "will lose an election."
Thus the rape of Zimbabwean democracy is a rape for the entire continent s democracy.
Thus we are going to se the export of the Zimbabwean model into the rest of Africa. Trust me. Malawi ,despite Joyce Banda s democratic credentials we knew ,has reportedly hired Nikuv and Zimbabwe to help Malawi prepare her voter roll.
Cry the beloved continent. The act of appointing Zimbabwe Sadc chair is therefore a cherry in the pudding.
A slap in the face to all democrats, Zimbabweans and the international community. A statement that this issue is closed. We can rig ,there is nothing you can do about it.
In short ,the death of diplomacy and international law. What shame ,what crass shame.
Wananchi, the democratic deficit in the continent is huge and shocking.
I have tried to do exposé this in the previous post ,and by public demand I will do a sequel .on the monsters ,I left out.I will enjoy visiting Nigeria ,Ghana, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Libya. Egypt, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Most importantly I will enjoy Zimbabwe. We love this country so much. We will not flee or flinch.
This country must return to legitimacy and soon.
Zikomo
Source - Tendai Biti
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