Zimbabwe Back From the Brink

Americans got their first real look in mid-November last year when former President Jimmy Carter, and a group of his associates calling themselves The Elders were refused entry to Zimbabwe to inspect the human rights conditions therein, specifically to assess the severity of a cholera outbreak. Of course, we found out down the road that the cholera outbreak was in reality, an epidemic. At the time, near-dictator President Robert Mugabe, in practice the sole authority in Zimbabwe, refused to admit the drastic nature of the problem, shut out international aid agencies, and used military coercion to silence internal dissenters. At the same time, Zimbabwe was suffering in nearly every other way as well: a collapsed financial system, crumbling infrastructure, dysfunctional hospitals, no running water, no food, no homes for millions of Zimbabweans, rampant disease and death, and brutal control by the police, under the direct orders of Mugabe.

The backdrop of Zimbabwe's political theater was the election of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who challenged Robert Mugabe in 2008 for the leadership of the government, claiming a majority win, but who withdrew from a recount vote at the last minute, claiming that the election would not be free and fair, and that political violence would ensue. Tsvangirai is the President of the Movement for Democratic Change, and recently sworn in as Prime Minister of the new Unity government, in cooperation with President Mugabe. However, prior to Mugabe bending to overwhelming internal as well as international pressures, and accepting Tsvangirai into his government, things were not always so smooth. Now Prime Minister, Tsvangirai was once the victim of near constant political violence, multiple arrests and assassination attempts. Even in victory, tragedy has struck the MDC leader; his wife was killed in a car crash on March 6th, 2009, shortly after his assumption of duties as PM. And on Saturday, April 4th, just three days after returning to work after mourning the loss of his wife, his two-year-old grandson drowned in the family swimming pool. Tsvangirai has paid a dear price for his convictions, so much so that even President Mugabe, once his sworn enemy, was in tears at the funeral of Tsvangirai's wife, Susan.

Mugabe and Tsvangirai signed a power-sharing deal in September 2008, which did not take effect until February 11th, 2009. The opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, accused Mugabe of taking control of all the key ministries such as information, foreign affairs, local government, finance, defense and home affairs. Shortly, the international community got involved. In December, conditions both physical and political in Zimbabwe led Kenyan premier Raila Odinga, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicholas Sarkozy and U.S. President George W. Bush to call for Mugabe to step down. The African Union quickly rejected such calls, and shouted down a rising furor for "strong actions" to be taken in Zimbabwe, i.e.: a forcible removal of Mugabe. By mid-December, an article appeared in the Guardian UK calling for "soft removal" of Mugabe, or for the African Union to put political and financial pressure on Mugabe to step down, while simultaneously supporting Tsvangirai. This idea gained enough traction, that by late January, President Mugabe was confronted with the reality that he was going to have to truly honor the power-sharing deal with Tsvangirai, or risk being shut out completely. No doubt, if removed from power entirely, Mugabe would have been arrested and put on trial for a laundry list of offenses against his own country. Seeing little other option, Tsvangirai was sworn in as Prime Minister and the Unity government formed in the first weeks of February.

Since that time, good will, money, order, and support have poured into the suffering African country. The new coalition government has just concluded a three-day retreat in Victoria Falls, from which five major goals were agreed upon: restoring human rights, addressing security concerns, stabilizing the economy, building infrastructure and re-engaging the international community. Restrictions on the media have also been relaxed, allowing freer circulation of information, and more exposure to the global community. Zambian President Rupiah Banda, speaking for the Southern African Development Community, who recently concluded a summit of all member nations, has indicated that the SADC member countries will all contribute funds to the rebuilding of Zimbabwe, a cost estimated at $10 billion US dollars. South Africa has also revised its visa policy for as many as three million or more Zimbawean refugees currently residing in South Africa, allowing them to stay another 6 months. Zimbabwe's Blanket mine, literally a gold mine for Zimbabwe has reopened and resumed production of as much as 40,000 ounces of gold a year, after the Zimbabwe national bank granted permission for private mining companies to sell their own bullion, after output slumped in 2008 by more than 50 percent.

Human rights are also getting a fresh look in Zimbabwe. The World Federation of Diamond Bourses, parroting the language of the European Union, has called for Zimbabwean diamond operations to be shut down. Anyone who has seen the movie Blood Diamond knows the conditions inside diamond mining operations. The television documentary, Hell Hole, produced by the South African Broadcasting Corporation, released this week, is also shedding light on the inhumane conditions inside Zimbabwe at Khami prison in the western city of Bulawayo, and one in the southern border town of Beitbridge. The documentary was shot by two sympathetic prison guards, who were subsequently arrested for their involvement. Regardless of what that may say about the police and (likely) Mugabe, the documentary got made, and is being seen all over the world right now. Every cause has martyrs. Restoring running water across large portions of Zimbabwe has also been an immediate project for the Unity government, as well as finding housing for a reported 1.25 million homeless.

Appeals for international aid are being taken seriously, although help is slow to come in some instances. Notably, President Obama and Secretary Clinton have remained intractable, insisting that more substantive progress needs to be made before the US will lift sanctions on Mugabe and Zimbabwe. President Mugabe this week issued a statement in no uncertain terms, calling for all political violence to end, publicly reiterating his support for Tsvangirai and the Unity government, and praising the work they are doing. The International Red Cross and other aid organizations have had free access to Zimbabwe since mid-February, the cholera epidemic is contained for the most part, and progress is being made on restoring water, power, and staffing to hospitals, schools, and public utilities. Impossible as it seemed six months ago, Zimbabwe is coming back from the brink, and a true democratic government is forming.

By Kyle Sennett who blogs at totallybiasednews.blogspot.com