zimbabwean war crimes and misdemeanors (June 5 2003)

One of the most important challenges for any political leadership is how to define the agenda for the burning issues of the day, for those who are led by such leadership.

No doubt our brothers and sisters in the leadership of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) would be expected to understand and recognize such altruism, and to accordingly rise to the leadership challenges in the face of the multitude of socio-economic/socio-political problems that our people in Zimbabwe are facing at this time. But if such leadership so wished to consider and to analyze such socio-economic/socio-political problems, and to give some thought to defining an agenda for the masses in this respect, one wonders as to whether a stay-away mass action, in the face of heavily armed brutal militias of an illegitimate regime, would be the most appropriate action in the circumstances?

Is it wise to assume that any mass action for the masses is necessarily good for the masses –– regardless of the socio-economic and the socio-political consequences?

If anything, would it not be wise to accept that dictatorial regimes– from Saddam Hussein of Iraq to Charles Taylor of Liberia, and on to Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe – have one thing in common: guns and money?

How then can a stay-away mass action be expected to effect regime change in these circumstances, when the lifeblood of such dictatorial regimes (guns and money) cannot be affected by such mass action?

We have seen regime changes – in Yugoslavia (the indicted Milosovic), and the soon to come regime change in Liberia (the now indicted Charles Taylor). So why not consider the long arm of the law (the inevitable indictment of Robert Mugabe for the notorious Gukurahundi war crimes and misdemeanors) as a time-honored tried and tested effective regime change strategy, in the circumstances – so as to target the villains; instead of targeting the victims of such notorious war criminals with the blunt instrument of an inappropriate (in the circumstances) mass action whose socio-political and socio-economic consequences do more harm than good to the masses?

True, stay-away mass actions were appropriate – and, therefore, successful – in the neo-colonial corporate jungle of Apartheid South Africa which had propped up the Apartheid system.

Needless to say, there is no neo-colonial Apartheid era type landscape in Zimbabwe to prop up the illegitimate Mugabe regime – and hence the inappropriateness of such Apartheid era type outdated mass action.

ZIMBABWEAN WAR CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS

We all know who is aiding and abetting the atrocities of the illegitimate Mugabe regime, by keeping the lights on in Harare with imported energy and diplomatic support – at the expense of fellow African taxpayers of the neighbouring state; even though such unseemly unconscionable propping up of a despotic illegitimate regime simply works against the stated objectives of the stay-away mass action: by providing a seemingly perennial lifeblood for the illegitimate Mugabe regime, such ‘good’ neighbour prolongs the life of such brutal regime, which inevitably prolongs the pain and suffering of our people. Surely that cannot be neighbourly! Surely that is what should be targeted!

And, in the order of priorities, how can good leadership justify the choice of such a blunt instrument for change; instead of recognizing that natural justice, and the laws and customs of war, require that the villains responsible for the notorious Gukurahundi war crimes and misdemeanors be subjected to some form of judicial scrutiny?

If closer to home, in Africa, President Charles Taylor is being subjected to judicial scrutiny for war crimes not unlike those of the illegitimate Mugabe regime –– and those of the foreign leaders who are propping up such illegitimate regime – why should all these birds of a feather not be tarred and feathered by the same brush in a rogues gallery, before having the book of the judicial process thrown at them?

In defining the order of priorities, in the exercise of able leadership, why not encourage our people to have their day in court – by joining an all-party campaign of like-minded patriots in a quest for the indictment of those guilty of war crimes and misdemeanors in Zimbabwe, villains who by coincidence are also responsible for raping and defiling our socio-economic and socio-political heritage?

We would also welcome religious groups and other community structures that are prepared to stand up and be counted on the right side of history – in such noble just-cause endeavor for the peace and justice rights of the people by the people for the people.

I trust that this constructive engagement dialogue will be taken in the right spirit.

Long live Zimbabwe! Long Live Africa!

By: Thabo Siziba