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April 25, 2002

We have destroyed enough
Learnmore Ndlovu

Reading the opening remarks by the leaders of the two delegations to the talks between ZANU PF and MDC, I am struck by two thoughts. Firstly that Zanu PF seems unable to help concentrating on and living in the past, and using the perceived wrongs of the past as an excuse for being destructive themselves today, while the MDC is not accepting and facing the reality of the present situation from the election result.

To start with the second point first, it has taken a bit of time for me to come to terms with and understand that Mugabe did win the election as seen by other African leaders. He won the election because the people of Zimbabwe allowed him to win the game. It was not the votes that mattered, but how you controlled and won the game. Mugabe may not have won the most votes, but he did win the game.

The people, rightly or wrongly, have accepted the result. It may not be true democracy, but is how the people have allowed democracy to work in Zimbabwe.

We all knew that Mugabe was not going to play strictly by the rules, and we knew ho the rules would be bent, but there were not enough people willing to be involved in the game to stop the rules being broken. We also must accept that the referees and officials involved in the game were biased and allowed an unfair advantage.

So reality is that Mugabe won the game, and is the effective President and is the person who will control the country. Reality is the people have accepted this. Reality is that the people are not willing to voice their disapproval of how the game was won. MDC must accept and live with this reality.

In my view the talks need to urgently concentrate on how to convince Zanu PF to change from living in the past and destroying the economy, to dealing with the present and how change Zanu PF into a constructive force for improving and building the future. The talks should be about the best method to restore good governance and overcome the economic and food shortage problems created by the election process.

A re-run of the election will only occur if the referee, in this case the people of Zimbabwe, demand this. Outside demands by foreign officials will be of no influence and will not cause the election to be re-run. Reality is that Mugabe controls the mechanism for authorising a re-run and he is not about to do that, unless there is a visible and vocal demand for a re-run by the people of Zimbabwe.

The talks should concentrate on achieving what is urgently required to solve the problems of food shortages and a declining if not imploding economy.

We urgently need to find a way to restore our image for credibility and integrity with the international community. We need to find a way to show that the Government will honour its obligations, restore law and order, respect the constitution, and restore good governance to Zimbabwe. How do we change our attitudes and image so that we attract aid and investment.

We urgently need to find a way to restore the economy. Even more urgently we need to find an acceptable and constructive solution to the land problem that will overcome the shortage of food which will result from the hurried and poorly implemented land resettlement program to date.

It is time that Zanu PF started to focus on a constructive future, stop blaming the past, and to start building rather than destroying. It is time that Zanu PF stops feeling that it is threatened by a strong opposition party, and starts to use constructive criticism that should come from a strong opposition party as a positive way to re-build a stronger and more viable economy.

The land issue was an emotive issue that was misused and abused in order to win an election. It should not have happened from an experienced, mature leader with wisdom, but it did and we now have to find a positive and constructive way to overcome the damage and destruction caused by the land issue. This is what the talks should concentrate on.

Let the talks be about restoring majority rule and removing one man rule. Let the talks be about restoring meaningful authority to Parliament, so that Parliamentarians play the role they should in governing the country. We need a government for the people by the people, and not one man. Let the talks be about restoring good majority government.

How many people actually care who runs the country. Very few. I certainly have no interest in who runs the country. I am very concerned about how well they govern the country, and that through good governance I am able to prosper as an individual.

So my plea to the two delegations to the talks about the elections, is to concentrate on the achievable, to
be constructive, to be positive, demonstrate experience, maturity, and wisdom, to put the prosperity of the people of Zimbabwe as your main priority, and to start a process of healing and re-construction towards a Zimbabwe that would be an example to the world of what can be achieved if there is a political will to be constructive. We have destroyed enough.
Learnmore Ndlovu, Harare, Zimbabwe

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