Busayo Akanro – Light does not shine in light

Last Friday, June 27, was a remarkable day in the lives of two eminent African leaders. On this day, our own Nelson Mandela celebrated his 90th birthday amid fanfare. A star-studded group of artists gathered at a giant concert in London, in support of his global AIDS 46664 campaign against HIV/AIDS, which was broadcast live around the globe. Performers at the event played to a crowd of 46,664 people, the same figure as Mandela‘s prison number at Robben Island where he was kept in captivity for 27 years. Though he was born on July 18, 1918, Mandela chose June 27 for the grand ceremony.

Tragically, on the same day, too, Mr. Robert Mugabe, 84, began his final journey to infamy by holding a controversial run-off election in which he was the only candidate standing. A week earlier, his main opposition, Mr. Morgan Tsvangirai, had pulled out his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) from what he described as ”the violent, illegitimate sham of an election process.”
Since last year, stories about these two African leaders have been attracting media attention.

On August 29, 2007, the former South African president announced a number of activities to mark his 90th birthday as his statue was unveiled amid much fanfare opposite the Palace of Westminster in the United Kingdom. Mugabe, on the other hand, captured media headlines for his intrigues to hold on to power after 28 unbroken years as president. But, in March, he was beaten for the first time in a presidential election he had thought would be just a walkover. Instead of accepting defeat gracefully, Mugabe complained of being rigged out of power. He had accused some electoral officers of under-counting the votes cast for him in the poll by 5,000 and charged them for fraud and criminal abuse of duty. Mugabe did all this to force an election re-run, which he got.
Somehow, the world appears to be collapsing on Mugabe‘s head. Even the usually timid African Heads of State are beginning to find their voices against this tyrant. Thabo Mbeki, the South African President, tried unsuccessfully to stop Mugabe from going ahead with the runoff. Nigeria with its very bad electoral credentials joined the chorus of nations calling for the poll to be postponed. The Yar‘Adua administration has recalled the observer mission led by retired General Yakubu Gowon from Zimbabwe. Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa, who also currently heads Southern African Development Community (SADC) said elections held in such an environment would be undemocratic and bring embarrassment to the region and the entire continent of Africa.
Outside Africa, Mugabe‘s fate has already been sealed. On June 23, the Queen of England stripped him of his honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath created in 1994. While President George Bush described the runoff election as a ”sham”, the 15 United Nations‘ Security Council members unanimously condemned Mugabe‘s regime, accusing it of waging a campaign of violence that has made it impossible to hold a fair presidential election.
Yet Mugabe remains in his best element. Last Friday, his supporters thronged the streets, singing revolutionary songs, heckling people and asking why they were not voting. Reports say that he appeared jovial as he voted, telling a reporter he was feeling ”very fit, very optimistic, upbeat and hungry.”
Yes, he must be. Though initial reports say that turnout was low at the start of the presidential runoff, Mugabe is set to win the election. Whether MDC quit the race or not, he had made it clear that he was not in a hurry to vacate the seat he has held since 1980. Apart from unleashing violence on real and imagined opponents, he had vowed that only God could remove him from office.
Similarly, unlike the first round of the election, Mugabe needs not worry about international observers‘ verdict. This time around, foreign election monitors, including journalists, were barred from covering the election. Even the main independent local election observer group, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network, said it was unable to field monitors because they had not been accredited. ZESN said though ZANU-PF had restricted the number of monitors to only 500 for the runoff, it failed to clear them for accreditation. ”The verdict is ours as the people of Zimbabwe. They can shout as loud as they want from Washington and London, but our people will deliver the final verdict.” But Mandela has described Mugabe as a tragic failure of leadership.
Indeed, the two legends represent conflicting faces in African leadership. Both Mandela and Mugabe have several things in common. Both were freedom fighters at the most trying times of African recent history. Both are orators. Where did Mugabe miss the road? While Mandela is celebrated even to the point of being canonised, Mugabe is vilified to the point of being crucified. Once hailed as a post-independence leader committed to development and reconciliation, President Mugabe got afflicted with that deadly leadership virus ravaging Africa. Most African leaders ravishingly love power and will do everything to cling to it. But Mandela realized that very early and decided on his own to make a difference. At 79, he transferred the baton of the ANC leadership to Thabo Mbeki in 1997. Though section 88 of the South African Constitution limits the President‘s time in office to two terms, Mandela chose the honourable way by quitting in 1999 after just one term and when the ovation was loudest.
But while Mandela was doing these, Mugabe repeatedly resorted to electoral fraud, propaganda and intimidation to maintain his iron grip on power. He has always blamed the West for his woes. ”Over the past decade, Zimbabwe has democratized the land ownership patterns in the country, with over 300,000 previously landless families, now proud landowners.” Previously, he said recently, ”this land was owned by a mere 4,000 farmers, mainly of British stock.” Mugabe added, ”It has, however, and regrettably so, elicited wrath from our former colonial masters. In retaliation … the United Kingdom has mobilized her friends and allies in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand to impose illegal economic sanctions against Zimbabwe.” Perhaps realizing that the land reform propaganda is worn out, this time, he has accused the West of doing and saying nothing about some elections in Africa that had left hundreds of people dead.
Unfortunately, Mugabe is having his way. Scores of African people, especially his fellow rulers, think he is fighting a good cause. Mugabe promised to be in Egypt tomorrow where he will share his moment of victory with his other African leaders.
Will African leadership tragedy ever end?