THE crisis in Zimbabwe has exposed divisions among southern African nations who have traditionally supported each other against what they perceive as Western interference, analysts said.
The rifts in the Southern Africa Development Community (Sadc), a 14-member regional bloc, are mainly between countries led by anti-colonial national liberation leaders and heads of state driven by a more pro-Western agenda.
Neo Simutanyi, political science lecturer at the University of Zambia, said there is a view among the old guard that Western nations wants to replace leaders such as Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe with "imperialist agents".
"The situation has been worsened by the fact that young leaders are departing from the old culture of solidarity. They want to publicly condemn when things are going wrong in a neighbouring country," Simutanyi said.
A generation of new African leaders, riding on the agenda of democracy and good governance, has emerged within Sadc and wants to change the culture of solidarity between comrades-in-arms based on old friendships.
"The leaders pushing for a hardline stance on Zimbabwe are either third or fourth presidents of their respective countries. They have no strong links to the liberation struggle," said Kapembe Nsingo, chairman of the African Renaissance Institute, a think tank in South Africa.
Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa—backed by his Botswanan counterpart Ian Khama and Tanzania's Jakaya Kikwete—are said to be the only vocal leaders within Sadc who have demanded intervention in Zimbabwe.
Mwanawasa and Khama are third heads of states while Kikwete is the fourth.
"It is difficult for the old leaders to openly share information with the young breed of leaders because they don't trust them," Nsingo said.
Mwanawasa, chairman of Sadc, which was formed in 1980, is a vocal critic of the government in Harare and has come under constant attack by allies of President Mugabe, who perceive him as an agent of neo-colonialism.
It is no wonder, analysts argue, that Sadc has failed to resolve the stand-off in Zimbabwe since the Sadc-appointed mediator, South African President Thabo Mbeki, is viewed as biased towards liberation hero Mugabe.
"Mbeki is a 'scion' of liberation movements. There is no way he can dump President Mugabe at this critical moment," said Campion Mereki in an opinion piece published in Zimbabwe's Herald newspaper.
Zimbabwe's main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and its leader Morgan Tsvangirai have often been accused by Zimbabwe officials of receiving financial support by outside powers to pursue an imperialist agenda.
The main leaders in Sadc who have not condemned Mugabe publicly include Mbeki, Angolan President Eduardo dos Santos, Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba and Mozambican President Armando Guebuza.
All these heads of state share a common background of taking part in the liberation struggle and believe in offering each other solidarity in times of trouble, analysts said.
For the Herald commentator, the outside threat against the liberation struggle is not in doubt. "The West wants to wipe out all liberation movements in Africa, especially in southern Africa," he argued.
Dickson Jere
[This article is reproduced here courtesy of iAfrica.com]
Attachments
READER OPINIONS
Omuhle • n/a Subject: n/a Tue, 13 May 2008 10:30:23 • Mmmm, mdhara.....conspiracy yako iyi? Uchavharirwa uchinzi unopnega. Senge ku Brixtion kwauri uko, ndiko kwadzinosvutwa dziyadziya ka? Dzekusekesa munhu - dzinonzi Mary Jane ku Latin America
GOKWE GURU • Brixton, UK Subject: EVEN JATROPHA COMES AT A PRICE. Sat, 10 May 2008 09:36:59 • Now SADC is dividing our region as efficiently as Jatropha divides fields and kraals throughout Africa?
Jatropha originated in South America and was apparently brought to our shores by seafaring sailors. (God knows what they had it on board ship for?)
It is a vegetable oil, perfect for biofuels. It is common knowledge that once you have grown Jatropha nothing else will grow in its place. A tv programme last year recently revealed how the Indians no longer want to grow Jatropha in India because it is taking over their land and is not viable. (harvesting One Litre per 10 trees?)
They realised they were better off growing food crops instead of Jatropha because they can sell veggies to other villagers, as well as feed their own families. So the biofuel companies had to find alternatives. Binga Trees Project in Matabeleland is one such alternative.
More recently Tanzania surrendered to vast acres of Jatropha being planted for the Developed World. The world is running out of fossil fuels.There is a drastic shortage of fuel in the world but in Africa we dont have that many cars.
We have starving masses, and we need food, not fuel. It is totally unreasonable for biofuels to be grown in our virgin soils instead of nutritious crops.
Another way of starving Africans out of their homes so that the Developed World can get in here and take over our 29 million square acres perfectly suitable for Jatropha.
They dont want the land as it will be useless after Jatropha takes root. They want what is beneath it. But you try and explain that to the other half of the young progressive SADC leaders who think they are onto a safe bet by colluding with the Developed World?
SUBMITYOUROPINION
Please make sure you fill in all sections for your post to be submitted. Use n/a if not submitting details. The submission code below is case-sensitive. Also make sure you get confirmation that your comment has been submitted.
