To quote from Malcolm Nance’ s book, ‘ The Plot to Destroy Democracy, ” The most dangerous world view is the world view of those who have not viewed the world”.
The writer is going to look at both angles of whether Zimbabwe is a Potemkin Village or not? Literally a Potemkin Village is something that seems impressive but in fact lacks substance or a banana republic (small country that is politically unstable and whose economy is dominated by foreign companies and depends on one export (such as bananas).
Luckily in Zimbabwe we don’t rely on one export, we have many, but that name has been tagged on Zimbabwe by some television pundits, political analysts and independent journalists.
Some Zimbabweans surely subscribe to the theory that their country is a Potemkin Village (banana republic). They look on how we hold elections after every five years, to choose our leaders, a good example of a democratic state but nothing really comes of it.
They expect the leadership stick to be changed from one hand to the other, either the opposition or someone different within the ruling party. They also highlight that all public broadcasting services have become mouthpieces for the ruling party and opposition candidates are not given any airplay. So, all the hyperbole that Zimbabwe is democratic is not in sync with what is happening on the ground.
Some accuse the current government of lawfare and court packing, where judges are appointed according to their political affiliations, mostly which favours the ruling elite.
They also claim that most influential posts in the government are filled by cadres, who are not into the job but some protectionists of some kind, which gatekeeps and implement government policies to keep everybody in tow, and these policies are usually not market oriented.
Henceforth the demise of a once vibrant Zimbabwean economy. These naysayers stop at nothing as they always poke holes in whatever, they deem undemocratic. For a country to qualify to be middle class it must be democratic.
Let’s define ‘ democracy’ from the western point of view. Samantha Power in her article, ” How Democracy Can Win’ -(Foreign Affairs magazine, March/ April 2023), she highlighted the benchmarks of democracy as an independent media, the rule of law, human rights, good governance, civil society, pluralistic political parties and free and fair elections’. Some theorists say ‘yes’, in Zimbabwe all the above guard rails are there but they are weak and can be subverted by the majority in parliament to suit today’s weather.
They say we have witnessed Statutory lnstruments being used to change the course of many rivers, many were running upwards. So, this criteria qualifies Zimbabwe to be a ‘ Potemkin village ‘. The ruling elite only sings their own song.
Some scholars, who call themselves ‘ Pan-Africanists or liberal thinkers, say Zimbabwe is not a Potemkin Village at all. Who dare say that, must cast the first stone .They argue that Zimbabwe is a victim of western hegemony, which rules worthy and unworthy victims.
Qatar recently hosted the world cup games, but it trails behind Zimbabwe on its human rights, pluralist thinking, good governance, and civil society issues. In Africa countries in East and Central Africa have a lot to be improved but the ranking rate houses always tick all the boxes in the hallmarks of democracy.
They say Zimbabwe’s cardinal sin was to dispossess their former white masters of their so called’ their land’. Zimbabweans in the late 1990s began to question the government of the late Robert Mugabe, ‘ why Zimbabweans are still crowded in infertile lands of the so called ‘ Tribal Trust Lands?’.
The people of Svosve were the first to invade nearby farms owned by white commercial farmers in and around Marondera. In 2002 when these white farmers saw this crusade, they started to bankroll the newly formed Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Footages of them giving money donations to its late President Morgan Tsvangirai became viral. Then the ‘ Kutama Old Boy’ (the late Robert Mugabe) had a field day, he let loose his pit bulls to grab farms owned by the whites.
The land agrarian program was born. In 2002 or thereabouts the European Union countries stopped all developmental projects in Zimbabwe and this was the advent of sanctions against Zimbabwe. Water, rural roads, healthy programs were adversely affected by these sanctions.
Maintenance of rural roads was sponsored by Germany and were negatively impacted when it pulled out, WASH programs remained with few humanitarian donors and we can easily witness its effect through the outbreaks of cholera, hospitals with no drugs.
Although they are called targeted sanctions against certain individuals, the effect is felt everywhere in Zimbabwe. Lack of foreign direct investment in any country has a negative impact on development. Some key board activists say corruption and mismanagement have taken us where we are, it’s not their fault as they consume a lot of western propaganda, through the internet, cable news networks etc. It was fashionable when we’re growing up, getting into Kingstons, Mambo Press bookshops, etc and grab the Newsweek, Time magazines, Top 40, You, etc. We didn’t know we were consuming propaganda of who deserves to be loved or unloved by the West. It’s not all stuff was like that but many were lionizing the western lifestyle, thinking, eating etc as the way to go. That’s how the mass media was used on us. Instead of promoting also the African ways of living, it was and is still the opposite.
Now the proxy Ukraine – Russian war is ongoing, President Biden at first coerced the world to turn against Russia. Zimbabwe was castigated for abstaining for voting against Russia, as an axis of evil.
As more countries realized none but themselves can make the world a better place began to show the US the middle finger. Now America is on an onslaught to lure them into its fold. Hypocrisy is one word the writer can describe it.
In America the Electoral College decided the votes not the people. Human rights apply to some and other races bear the brunt of the racist police. Free press is tolerated when you support the status quo.
Free speech is tolerated when you don’t support Make America Great Again (MAGA). Ex President Donald Trump is now victimized by the courts. In Zimbabwe it’s called lawfare against its opponents. Commonalities are everywhere in Zimbabwe and America. The thief who has no opportunity to steal, thinks he is an honest man.
The writer’s recommendations are as follows, as the American Vice President Kamala Harris is planning to visit Zimbabwe, it is the right time to display our Kissingerism, that we are friends to everybody and enemies to nobody to quote from His Excellency.
Our Foreign Affairs desk must rise and shine, it must be open and frank to her entourage, that Zimbabwe despite its re-engagement with the West, it didn’t take us seriously. Henceforth our alignment with the Federation of Russia, China, Belarus, Iran etc is not a sign of defiance but of survival.
Our country needs the foreign direct investment so that our citizenry can live a normal life. We need new technology, equipment and machinery (for example tractors from Belarus), new technology (Manhize project), Huawei’s G5 tech, latest clinical diagnostic machines, and finally Zimbabweans need a healthy and long lives.
So, the so called targeted sanctions must be dropped as a matter of urgency, as they have crippled our once vibrant companies like Ziscosteel, Cold Storage Commission, ZimAlloys, Willowvale Motor Industries, etc. Some pessimists are going to say corruption and poor management did destroy these companies, which l beg to differ. Every country is corrupt in its way, in the USA, the FTX scandal, Lehman Brothers, SVB scandals are also signs of poor management, which don’t guarantee sanctions.
Human rights are the hallmarks of ZIDERA, but in the US, black Americans are killed by the police on flimsy excuses of being uncooperative. These are not words which l am planning for the vice president (Kamala)’ s visit. In Shona, they say ‘ kungoonesana’ (self- introspection).
I am simply trying to say, every country has its own problems, (Hakuna nyika isina rinda). So, the First Secretary, the Commander in Chief and His Excellency, President E.D. Mnangagwa must not let this crisis go to waste.
When Catriona Laing (former British ambassador to Zimbabwe), gave us an olive branch in 2017, the US was quick to refute it. So this is your chance to shine Mr President (Die Kroot Krokodil), show your prowess in dialogue and market your mantra, ” Zim is open for business. Friend to everybody and enemy to none”.
Reminder also; don’t forget to tell her that the voice of the people is the voice of God”.
Aaron Gono
