A CALL FOR THE AFRICAN UNION TO RALLY AROUND ZIMABABWE
by Edson T Sithole Jr. & Tendai Hildegarde Ma

African foreign ministers and leaders meet in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheik for an African Union heads of state summit that begins on Monday. According to international opinion, Zimbabwe is expected to be high on the continental body's agenda.

The AU meeting comes after the historic presidential run-off. It is also premised by comments made by President Mugabe during his address at his last campaign rally when he told Zanu-PF supporters that no country in the world — including those in the AU and Sadc — can dictate how Zimbabwe should conduct its elections. Said the President: "Some African countries have done worse things and when I go to the AU meeting next week, I am going to challenge some leaders to point out when we have had worse elections. I would like some leaders who are making these statements to point out at me and we would see if these fingers would be cleaner than mine."

We are writing as victims or, appropriately so, casualties of the menacing economic sanctions imposed on our country by Britain and her "Great" allies. On May 25, we found ourselves without many options on how we could commemorate so important a day commonly known to many as Africa Day. It was also most fitting that Zanu-PF launched President Mugabe's presidential run-off campaign manifesto on this day, and how fascinating it was to be part of that momentous event. His inspiring revolutionary message captivated the "Chiang Kai Sheks" of the Zimbabwean revolution, particularly as the nation held its historic and first ever presidential run-off in 28 years yesterday. As the President spoke, we suddenly became conscious of the fact that some 45 years earlier and on that very day, leaders of all independent Africa and those of liberation movements in most of colonial Africa had congregated in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to give rise to the Organisation of African Unity.

Ancient Ethiopia, the symbol of African resilience and resistance, soon became the fontanelle of African freedom and decolonisation that year, 1963. Now, Zimbabwe is fast assuming her position as the head cornerstone of African economic emancipation. Africa urgently needs absolute economic empowerment, as it currently does not have much to show for its independence and unity. It was essentially the absence of sustainable development in continental Africa and the need for a fundamental change of the iniquitous international economic system that the African Union came to being on July 9, 2002, in Durban, South Africa. But six years on, the AU is still without political stamina needed to influence important undertakings in global issues even where its members are molested by powerful racist nations.

The imposition of illegal economic sanctions on Zimbabwe by Britain, the United States and the European Union and their allies like New Zealand, Australia and Canada on a small and young nation like Zimbabwe cannot go unchallenged. The righteousness of Zimbabwe's cause has made us survive at this critical moment of the pan-African revolution, as much as the righteousness was on Haile Selassie's side when Ethiopia survived Italian occupation and colonialism, when the rest of Africa had succumbed to colonial subjugation. The AU must openly condemn these illegal economic sanctions on Zimbabwe. The AU must confront this collective racist attitude of the West.

Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, on a two-day state visit to Zimbabwe, bemoaned the fact that "there are also sanctions against this country and Africa has done little to have these removed". The AU's timorous approach to issues of urgency is a disservice to the pan-African cause for Wade was spot on when he noted that "African leaders left President Mugabe alone to resolve the imbalance of land ownership. We should have been collectively more involved".

In order to save face and not look like a donor-driven talk shop, with some of its members openly working in cahoots with Zimbabwe's enemies, it is about time the AU took full advantage of the Zimbabwean revolution and channel it to its benefit and glory. This is so because all Africa will, at one stage or another, have to confront the topical issues currently affecting Zimbabwe, mainly the ownership of African economies by Africans themselves. It is so because "if you fight and run away, you certainly are going to fight again".

As President Mugabe said, Zimbabwe's cause is indeed Africa's cause and in numerous ways, it will remain so for a long time to come till all Africa is truly free. It would appear Africa has instead been developing cold feet in the face of a fast-changing world, prompting President Abdel-Aziz of the Saharawi Arab Republic to say to the AU leaders in 2002: "In this brave new world, there is no room for the weak."

But is it not true that our poverty is, in fact, the very source of our weakness? And, is it not common knowledge that African leaders are fully aware who is largely responsible for Africa's poverty? And, for how long must this go on? The AU must, once and for all, confront African poverty with the daring action the issue deserves. The racist and illegal economic sanctions against Zimbabwe are certainly not going to put out the inferno because it is way overdue. And neither will the "unspecified actions" in the form of military intervention, a so-called 'peace-keeping force', against Zimbabwe, called for by Tsvangirai, rescue Africa from the quagmire of poverty and misery, which are a result of indecisive action by the AU on critical issues, such as the Zimbabwe issue. And, neither will acquiescence to the West's divide-an-rule tactics resolve these problems.

Our call to our African leaders is that it is high time they realised that the people must be economically empowered by all means necessary. It must be clear by now that no amount of diplomacy and conferences can write off African poverty. For, as Mahatma Gandhi noted, poverty stinks and it dehumanises. How long should the people of this great continent continue to be subjects of pity and misery who depend on Western food handouts?

The political will to transform Africa's landscape of misery, which has defined this rich continent's identity, can be transformed by empowering people economically. It is within our leaders' scope to make these brave stands for the sake of the people, instead of embarking on policy decisions favourable to Africa's colonial masters when whole nations writhe in squalor and poverty. We must not in any way prolong our suffering. Five-hundred years of empowering those who continue to exploit us without remorse is devilish. It is not true that Africa needs the West more than the West needs Africa. If anything, history presents the opposite as fact. The vigilant condemnation of illegal economic sanctions on Zimbabwe imposed by Britain and her allies by the African leaders was a starting point in the right direction. But then there is that fear of being executed, the Iraqi way. Those that fear are not fit to lead Africa, for Africa has lost many cadres in its life struggle against Western domination and subjugation.

The likes of Marcus Garvey, Patrice Lumumba, Malcolm X, Edson Sithole, Steve Biko, Samora Machel and others were men of steel who defied to death Western racist intimidation. President Mugabe's victory is perhaps the most important victory for the AU. Because economic empowerment of our people, black African people particularly, is the fundamental cause of revolutionary pan-Africanism. This probably singles out Zanu-PF as the most progressive pan-African organisation to date, as it vigilantly seeks to advance the black man's aspirations. The presidential run-off was an important and decisive battle in the broader context of the pan-African revolution. It is the kind of victory that will be a pacesetter for the African renaissance currently in the making as it proliferates best in liberated zones.

The more we brave economic sanctions; the more we are forced to remember how the UN showed indifference and inaction to the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq. We remember so well former British secretary for international development Claire Short's disapproval of the British government's staunchly pro-American policy against Iraq. Short observed how "ten years ago, before the war, Iraq was a sophisticated, educated, comfortable country, and today it is impoverished beyond belief . . . It's time for us to look for intelligent policy," she argued. However, what Short "intelligently" resolved for Zimbabwe were illegal economic sanctions in order to effect illegal regime change. She also chose to forget that land is at centre of economic empowerment not only in Zimbabwe, but the world over.

The irony is that the British House of Commons Select Committee on Development in a report pointed out that economic sanctions "unless carefully targeted", have the capacity to kill more people than armed warfare. Even former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan emphasised how "sanctions remain a blunt instrument which hurt large numbers of people who are not their primary targets".

If the AU stood by Zimbabwe at the EU-Africa Summit last December in the Portuguese capital Lisbon, then it follows that the righteousness of the Zimbabwean cause must be the same guiding spirit of principle that should unite Africa in protesting against continued illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe, and in the continued meddling by Britain and America in Zimbabwe's internal affairs. If the whole Western establishment can unite against Zimbabwe as a matter of principle, why should the AU not do the same especially at a time when that unity is very critical, instead of starting to point fingers at each other?

Indeed, Black Consciousness icon Steve Bantu Biko could not have meant less when he exclaimed: "We reject the power-based society of the Westerner . . . the great powers of this world may have done wonders in giving the world an industrial and military look, but the great gift still has to come from Africa — giving the world a more human face."

Now that Zimbabweans have spoken, it is time for Africa to come together and celebrate this victory, which is a victory of the demise of the neo-colonial project across the African continent. In the face of the menacing economic sanctions, Zimbabweans have soldiered on to this day for the past eight-and-a-half years with the faith that righteousness will always prevail over evil — revolutionary daunting. Marcus Garvey observed succinctly: "Up, up, you mighty race! You can accomplish what you will." He also said: "Liberate the minds of men and ultimately you will liberate the bodies of men." So, whither Africa? Today it is Zimbabwe. Who will be next?

AFRICAN OPINION Vol.1