Could or Should Zimbabwe become the next Egypt?

by Kwapi V | February 17, 2011 at 08:56 am

124 views | 2 Recommendations | 1 comment

Hannah Arendt once said, “The most radical revolutionary will become a conservative the day after the revolution.” and like Barbara Tuchman expressed, over time, every successful revolution begins to wear the robes of the tyrant it had just deposed. And our Zimbabwe is no different, a regime that became the very manifestation of the injustice they swore to protect us against. And in those moments they were held accountable, they hoodwinked us with cabinet reshuffles and unity accords that gave us a false sense of new beginnings; a false sense of renewal.

I could write about Zimbabwe’s oppression of gay rights; I could crochet vivid pictures of gross injustice, a corrupt government, violent youth militias, an inept opposition party or a complacent generation but it would all be in vain; in vain because we as a people have selective amnesia, quick to forget the misdeeds of those we still leave in power. And so, hoodwinked and bamboozled, we fall for the same tricks over and over again like a baby playing a game of peek-a-boo.

I do not endorse violence and I doubt our Egyptian and Tunisian brothers and sisters do either. Most violence was triggered by the police, army and supporters of those in power, sound familiar? What I will say is that our counterparts, inspired by the same frustrations we’ve dealt with for the last 10 years made a stand, one that was as uncompromising, resilient and unflinching as the government they were now tired of.

Sincerely yours,

Kwapi

Twitter | @kwapiv

http://www.twitter.com/kwapiv

Hi Kwapi,

Your story brought back memories of my visits to Zimbabwe as a place to go for a rest from working in Mozambique (1986-mid 1987).

While in Zimbabwe I couldn't work out how ordinary people could possibly overthrow Mugabe's power-base and enjoy a life sharing the bounty that was once brought from the agricultural land, and of course the industrial riches of diamonds.

I could not see anybody risking their lives against the current leadership of Zimbabwe.

Sadly, Mugabe and friends have their hands on the riches that make dishonest people difficult to overthrow and decent, honest people, denied an opportunity to contribute to living a comfortable life. And don't forget, the secret service is as corrupt as Mugabe and like the military they would not act against the president, I don't think.

Without careful planning for a 'peoples uprising' a great deal of trust among ordinary people would be necessary.

A 'peoples uprising' would have to be planned in the hope a weak spot in Mugabe's world appears. Frankly, I think it would be difficult to carry out but the end of Mugabe and friends raping the land and impoverishing the people might come to an end sooner than later. It depends on the will of the people, whether or not they want to live under oppression for the rest of their lives

There is always a way to overcome problems but there is the risk of heavy punishment for challenging people like Mugabe. His main weapon is fear of course, he is a bully, and he distributes fear. But Mugabe must have a weak spot. And that would be for the planners of some 'social action' to determine.

Peter

NowPublic

World

Could or Should Zimbabwe become the next Egypt?

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