Tragic coincidence on Mugabe’s birthday

By co-incidence, two of Zimbabwe’s political protagonists, some might say, the worse and the best, hit landmarks last week. Former President Robert Mugabe marked his birthday; Morgan Tsvangirai was buried.

One word befits Mugabe’s 94th birthday Wednesday: infamy. Until November 15, 2017, Mr Mugabe had ruled Zimbabwe with an iron fist for 37 years.

His birthday was a national holiday. Dressed, comically, in a suit dotted with images of his face, Mugabe presided over lavish birthday party celebration. Ostensibly paid for by the ruling ZANU-PF party, Mr Mugabe was presented with a cake, reportedly weighing the number of kilogrammes the number his years.

This time around, there was no official or public recognition of the birthday, except the closure of schools and government offices.

A solitary editorial in the government-run Herald newspaper was all.

GOOD DEEDS

Mr Mugabe’s only plausible consolation would be renaming by his ousters the day as “Robert Mugabe National Youth Day” and the generous exit golden parachute him, wife and children got from the state

Simon Khaya Moyo, ZANU;PF spokesman, said what sounded rather cynical, “The party will send its best wishes and a cake.” The wounds he inflicted on the country and persons, had buried any of his good deeds.

When Mugabe took office in 1980, Mr Tsvangirai was 28-years-old working in a nickel mine. He joined ZANU-PF and was known as an ardent Mugabe supporter. He rose rapidly in party hierarchy.

A trade unionist, Mr Tsvangirai parted ways with Mugabe at the end of 1900s, when it became more than obvious Mugabe and ZANU-PF were running down the country down the drain.

UNLEASHED VIOLENCE

In 1999, Tsvangirai formed the Movement for Democratic Change. Tribulations inflicted by Mugabe on Tsvangirai and the MDC supporters had begun.

That did not stop Tsvangirai and the MDC from giving Mugabe and ZANU-PF a run for their money in the 29 March 2008 presidential and parliamentary elections.

After nearly a month’s delay the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission announced Tsvangirai won 47.9 per cent of votes against Mugabe’s 43.2.

Since no candidate had won the 50 per cent required, a re-run was in order. Mugabe and ZANU-PF unleashed a wave of violence against the MDC supporters that was condemned worldwide. Tsvangirai withdrew. Mugabe ran alone and “won,” nearly doubling his votes.

NEGOTIATIONS

However, the MDC insisted it had won more than 50 per cent-plus in the first round. Protracted negotiations that included regional leaders led to the formation of a unity government, with Tsvangirai as prime minister. He suffered a litany of humiliations.

Anyway, some semblance of sanity, especially in the economy, returned. However, MDC’s political fortunes dwindled and in the 2013 elections it lost in the presidential and parliamentary elections. Meanwhile Tsvangiari’s health deteriorated.  

Thousands turned up for his burial on Tuesday, nearly three and a half months after ZANU-PF learned what Tsvangirai had been saying bll along: Get rid of Mugabe.

Without Tsvangirai ZANU-PF et al, would have sang the same platitudes Wednesday and Zimbabwe would have continues limping.

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