March 2005
Zimbabwe: What to Do about This Outpost of Tyranny
On February 23, a panel moderated by AEI’s Roger Bate discussed the growing crisis in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwean ruler Robert Mugabe, whose ZANU-PF party dominates the country’s political scene, has overseen his country’s descent into political despotism and economic chaos. In addition to food shortages, runaway inflation and high unemployment, Zimbabwe’s rapidly deteriorating health sector and high HIV infection rates, compounded with mass emigration to neighboring countries, threatens to destabilize the region. The international community has already denounced Mugabe for stealing previous elections and ruthlessly suppressing dissent. Recently, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice categorized Zimbabwe as an “outpost of tyranny”, but with upcoming parliamentary elections on March 31, many are wandering how the United States and the international community should direct policy.
George Ayittey
American University
Zimbabwe is missing the key institutions necessary for free and fair elections: an independent electoral commission, independent security forces, and an independent judiciary. Without these, there is no hope for a legitimate outcome.
African leaders must do more to denounce fellow heads of state when they become corrupt and tyrannical. With the recent action by African governments against Togo, regional leaders must take similar strides against Mugabe’s ZANU-PF government. Since Mugabe is adept at using his credentials as a leader in the struggle against white rule, only Africans have the capacity to strip him of legitimacy. Unfortunately, African leaders have not taken this course. In particular, South Africa’s President Thabo Mbeki has refused to put pressure on, or publicly denounce, his despotic neighbor, despite taking a leading role himself in other African conflicts. If regional leaders do not change course, Zimbabwe will continue on the course followed by other African states betrayed by their revolutionary leaders.
Western countries can only evince positive change indirectly through pressure on legitimate African governments. Ultimately, it is up to regional leaders to break the taboo of criticizing other Africans if Zimbabwe is to avoid the kind of catastrophe that occurred in places like Liberia.
Thomas M. Woods
U.S. Department of State
A number of hopeful signs have been emerging from Africa recently. Several countries have held free and fair elections, and regional leaders have broken precedent by condemning the actions of Togo’s government.
The upcoming elections in Zimbabwe mark a key turning point for that country. Elections in 2002 were not free and fair, but it is too soon to tell how they will progress this time around. However, events in Zimbabwe are currently trending negatively.
The United States stands behind the people of Zimbabwe and their struggle for freedom and is encouraged by the resiliency of the opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). MDC’s continuing survival in the face of government efforts to stifle the opposition and the emerging splits in ZANU-PF are hopeful signs.
Both Great Britain and the United States are cognizant of the fact that public pressure from regional leaders carries greater potential for influencing events in Zimbabwe than condemnations from the West. Nevertheless, the United States has no plans to lift targeted sanctions placed on government leaders, and will continue its efforts to support the restoration of the democratic process in Zimbabwe.
Annabel Hughes
Zimbabwe Democracy Trust
Members of the opposition in Zimbabwe risk marginalization, starvation, abuse, imprisonment, torture, and even death for their political stances. Despite these challenges, their hope for positive change sustains their continued opposition to Mugabe’s tyrannical regime.
Mugabe’s tyranny is destroying Zimbabwe’s health sector, agriculture sector, and its economy. He is starving opponents, banning non-governmental organizations and independent media, and brutalizing opponents. While he buys the support of influential cronies with huge pay raises, the health and educational sectors must pay their own way. Further, an exodus of health care professionals is damaging the already collapsing health system. Many other Zimbabweans have left--probably much more than the official government figure of 3.4 million living abroad--exacerbating an already serious HIV situation in other countries in the region. In addition, Mugabe has refused food aid from the international community needed to nourish millions.
Neither the UN--which just selected Zimbabwe to serve on its human rights panel--the IMF, nor the South African government appear likely to help rescue Zimbabweans from Mugabe’s regime anytime soon. South Africa has remained virtually silent on the events in Zimbabwe, and its “quiet diplomacy” tactics have failed to generate a response to Mugabe’s continued flouting of South African Development Community (SADC) election protocols. Mugabe has denied entry to COSATU (South Africa’s organization of trade unions), the Democratic Alliance (South Africa’s parliamentary opposition), and a team of SADC lawyers intent on monitoring election reforms. Mugabe expects regional leaders to “whitewash” the election results.
When Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party prevails in upcoming elections, he will push fellow African leaders to sanitize the results. Ordinary Zimbabweans need the help of the free world to stand up to his wicked regime. The time has come for the Bush administration to apply its Jeffersonian dream of exporting liberty and freedom to the courageous ordinary people of this oppressed and helpless nation.
