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Would you betray your strongest convictions?
Rob Cohen
April 07, 2008

A basic enough question to ask. I guess the simplicity of the answer would all depend on what exactly these convictions are.

I have a strong belief that inhaling tobacco smoke isn-t exactly the key to a healthy life, but you-ll still find me lighting up on a fairly regular basis.

A true friend would be well justified to recommend that I stop and could even go as far as making a noise about it because it really is just played out. I would do well to take heed of this advice and stop lining my lungs and those that are around me with these toxins.

Right now, while we are at an extremely delicate point in our history, we are asking each other to do this very same thing for something that far outstrips the importance of me living an extra 5 years.

We are 'in the middle of an election-, waiting very anxiously for the official announcement of the presidential poll.

The independent, and seemingly anti-ZANU-PF ZESN, have stated that they believe the results indicate a run-off is the necessary next step according to our electoral regulatory laws.

Morgan Tsvangirai has claimed victory the day after elections. His party has stated that they believe that ZANU-PF are planning a 'war on the people- by mobilizing muscle to intimidate them into voting for President Mugabe in a run-off.

ZANU-PF, wrongly, would seem to be responsible for the delay in the release of these results. There have been numerous stories/interpretations/rumors concerning their frustratingly drawn out announcement.

Whatever the reason, they are making it increasingly difficult for any sympathizers to defend their position.

But then, there is the old carrot and stick nyaya. There have been promises by the international community/US/Britain/IMF/international financial institutions to provide something like US$1billion every year for our recovery.

The same international financial institutions that have for years been prevented from providing any financial support to Zimbabwe by way of the US bill that was titled ZDERA.

For years Mugabe has been referring to such actions as the sanctions they are, while many 'stake holders- have either;

a) Chosen to remain mum, and in some cases possibly supported these sanctions due to a perceived need for such actions to bring about the 'change- they desire, or

b) Effectively and successfully been brainwashed into thinking that economic sanctions on the country and therefore the people do not actually exist, and are therefore ignorant of their significance in our current economic position. This group believe that only 'smart sanctions- exist.

(Ironically, the same people that keep quiet about such things will, in the same breath, condemn the IMF for everything else they have done or are doing to other developing nations of this world both now and in the past.)

So what are the options for Mugabe when asked whether he should betray his convictions?

Put more precisely, the question could be put in the following ways by most of his critics;

"Why don-t you just step down and write this off as an ideological loss? Why don-t you allow the IMF money to come flowing in so we can start to recover? Why don-t you leave it to 'us the people- to sort things out?"

So what is Mugabe thinking right now? He-s watching on as we are on the verge of signing on the dotted line, the repercussions of which are yet unknown since the conditions with which this money will be given have not been made public at this point.

What is quite obvious is that the incoming government is going to be under a tremendous amount of public pressure to produce visible results. This will require a large cash injection.

One can argue that the 'new political system- will allow for all Zimbabweans to 'have their say- in the direction that we should be taking, and that we can 'better prepare ourselves- to ensure that we as a nation are positioned not to be as vulnerable as we were leading up to the implementation of the economic manipulation we have witnessed during this crises.

One would be quite confident that this is possible knowing just how intelligent and educated we as a people are. Surely we will be able to handle our own?

But let-s look at it from President Mugabe-s point of view. Up until this point, all his critics have consistently failed to mention these sanctions in their analyses of the current economic situation for either one of the two reasons mentioned above.

Even up until the point where the inevitable carrot as been dangled within 5cm of our faces, there has been no public condemnation of these steps for the all too often historically repeated antics that they are.

I personally doubt whether our collective eyes are truly open wide enough to see our own way through this fucked up world. Can we really see where we have gone wrong as a nation in the last 10 years?

As far as he is concerned, and quite justifiably so, our chance of a possible economic independence could get signed off the day he leaves office. The very independence that he and many of us know is our only salvation in this global village which places it-s barbarians at our door.

And we expect him just to give up and walk away? We think it is easy for him to leave it to fate or to the section of the population who have basically said that we can do it no other way? (This unfortunately does not say much for our self-confidence).

Theoretically, it should be easier for me to give up smoking. Shit. Easier said than done.

Puff Puff . . .

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