KENNETH MOKGATLHE | Zimbabwe is SADC and AU's permanent headache

It is very disappointing to see Zimbabwe, the “breadbasket of Africa'', starting a battle with Zambia over nothing.

Zimbabwe should be condemned for undermining regional institutions such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and African Union (AU), and sorting Africa’s dirty linen to European countries, whom we often accused of interfering in our affairs in individual African countries.

The current diplomatic standoff between Zambia and Zimbabwe was started by Zimbabwe’s leader, Emmerson Mnangagwa, in what seems to be a mere rumormongering. There is no intelligence to suggest that Zambia has housed the US military in their country.

There are various dispute mechanisms through either SADC or AU in which Zimbabwe could have registered their security concerns, which were going to be dealt with by relevant bodies, why invite outsiders to Africa’s problems?

Zimbabwe took this matter to the US but was ignored, they then went to report it to Russia, which is fighting Ukraine over accusations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisations’ expansion in that country. 

Mnangagwa understands that SADC and AU have not held his authoritarian party, Zanu-PF, accountable for all the atrocities that they have been perpetuating in Zimbabwe since 1980.

Despite all these atrocities committed by Zanu-PF, SADC and the AU kept quiet and claimed that they are supposed to respect the sovereignty of every country.

It is this cosiness with these dictators in Zanu-PF that continues to enable them to see Zimbabwe as its fiefdom and does not care that millions of their residents are crossing over crocodile-infested Limpopo river to have a better life in their neighbouring country, SA, where they are at times at odds with the locals over competing for scarce resources.

It is so bad that they have been accused of stealing or rigging elections and imprisoning their political opponents, but African countries continue to congratulate Zanu-PF instead of cutting ties with them until they repent and change their ways.

In 2008, Zimbabwe accused Botswana of training insurgents. They claimed to have had evidence, but such was never shown to the public. In their world, they believe that every country should not have a relationship with Western powers.

In 2019, Zimbabwe accused Botswana of hosting or housing a US military base without any substance even when Botswana dismissed their allegations. This is a dangerous claim that other demagogues such as Fikile Mbalula and Julius Malema believed and still believe. 

It is quite disappointing that many countries in SADC such as Mozambique, Zambia, SA, Botswana and many others are doing well in managing their economies while Zimbabwe is still trapped in the fighting mood.

If the concern is real, why is Zanu-PF not using its proximity to SA to intervene on the issue between them and Lusaka? 

The claims by Harare are not serious. Mnangagwa knows what he is doing, so he wants the corrupt former leader of Zambia, Edgar Lungu, to win the next elections to replace the current Zambian president Hakainde Hichilema who has grown the economy and fought corruption in the public sector.

Under Hichilema, Zambia is offering free primary and secondary level education. He has helped to restore the rule of law as well as relationship with international political actors, something that Zimbabwe does not know.

The new South African administration should change its tune when dealing with Zimbabwe, it cannot be business as usual when between 4 to 7 million Zimbabweans have left their country and an estimated one million of them are in SA. Something has to give.

SA will have to instil accountability in the Zimbabwean government, we have to force them to change their crooked ways. 

• Mokgatlhe is a political writer and columnist