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That's what Zimbabwe has been reduced to - a joke
Barney Mthombothi, Financial Mail (SA)
March 24, 2006

http://www.zwnews.com/issuefull.cfm?ArticleID=14120

The bus was slowly making its way down the runway at Johannesburg International Airport when its passengers suddenly spotted an Air Zimbabwe aircraft. And, as if on cue, the passengers burst out laughing.

"I didn't know they still had a plane in Zim," said one wag. "No, it's only here to fill up for ol' Bob's next trip!" said another. More laughter. That's what Zimbabwe has been reduced to - a joke.

Humour often becomes the last form of escapism when everything else fails. People don't know what to do or say about Zimbabwe anymore. They can't make sense of it. Robert Mugabe, with the staunch support of the SA government, has not only outlasted his critics, he's hounded and bamboozled them. They have been reduced to a befuddled heap, squabbling among themselves like rats in a sack. It's not a pretty sight. There are no angels in this mess.

Having sowed confusion in their ranks, Mugabe can now sit back and enjoy the spectacle as the opposition tears itself apart. He's succeeding beyond his wildest dreams. Attention has shifted from his odious behaviour to the turmoil in the opposition.

What was once a credible opposition - it would have formed the government five years ago had Mugabe not rigged the elections - has splintered into factions which have more hatred for each other than for Mugabe.

Morgan Tsvangirai, having presided over the shambles, now wants us to believe he's the man to sort it out. He was elected leader of one faction of the MDC at the weekend. It's no cause to celebrate. It's a pyrrhic victory. It is failure that has been rewarded.

This does not in any way absolve Mugabe and his minders in the SA government. They're the real villains of the piece. Perhaps Mugabe can be forgiven for wanting to cling to power. It's the way of all autocrats. However, one finds it difficult to understand the ANC government's stance on Zimbabwe. It defies all logic and is frankly unconscionable. Our history demands that we should be intolerant of such behaviour.

The mess in the opposition gives Mugabe and his friends an excuse to sit on their hands. The South Africans' refrain has always been that Tsvangirai couldn't be trusted. It's not for them to decide for Zimbabweans. But such words will now gain some credibility.

It's no surprise the opposition has collapsed. It is not sufficiently anchored. Power lies in people on the ground, not in cocktail circuits. Also Zimbabweans need to cast off the yoke of fear, which seems to have paralysed them. It's the most effective weapon in Mugabe's armoury

*Barney Mthombothi is editor of the Financial Mail (SA)

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