South Africa and Zimbabwe

South Africa has the means to put more pressure on Robert Mugabe to soften his attitudes regarding the opposition led by Morgan Tsvangirai. It’s rather queer that the results aren’t released three weeks after the elections. Even recounting the whole votes wouldn’t have taken such a long time. This, maybe, Mugabe is preparing his own results. The opposition is powerless as the army and the courts are under the full authority of Mugabe. The army is on full alert to carry his orders as the courts are apparently politically geared to rule in favour of Mugabe’s decisions.

Zimbabwe is now a torn country. About a third of its population is now living in neighbouring countries, mainly, South Africa. There is a political discord as the political figures are unable to figure out a way out to the current situation even if it comes to power sharing to save the country from its currents crisis.

South Africa looks a lame duck as it has to put up with the consequences of Zimbabwe’s political crisis, mainly through the huge influx of the Zimbabweans on its territory. Thabo Mbeki alone can’t solve the political situation in Zimbabwe. It’s up to African leaders to have a united mediation to bring all the parties together. Imposing economic sanctions on this country will just drive it to complete anarchy and massive starvation. African leaders, especially those neighbouring Zimbabwe should have a common vision of what this country should be. Leaving it drift in its current situations is another disgrace to the whole of Africa, which is doomed to have a crisis ended only to be plagued by a new one. A stable Africa is still a dream as there are countries that can’t look normal without international interventions as it is the case in the Ivory Coast and DR Congo. Somalia is left on its own, making it lack the political infrastructure of a sovereign country.

Zimbabwe leaders should choose between being democratic as it is the case of Senegal or chaotic as it is the case in Somalia. Only the national will and fruitful international mediations can save Zimbabwe from falling into the abyss of total chaos.