Maravi

(TALKZIMBABWE) The formidable task of rebuiding Zimbabwe

The formidable task of rebuiding Zimbabwe
Itayi GARANDE
Thu, 12 Feb 2009 04:33:00 +0000

IN Zimbabwe we are facing one of the most significant economic, social and political crises of most of our lifetimes. There are those debating how we got here, whose fault it is, how long it will last, and many other questions. But the most important question we have to answer right now is how to do we fix it? How do we get out of this mess?

Behind each of these crises lies a story of personal crisis for a Zimbabwean family or business. We have seen friends, neighbours and family members lose their jobs and see their livelihoods, and those of their children threatened.

Our economy is suffering, people are in need, and we are shedding jobs at an alarming rate and the cholera crisis does not seem to be abating. The need to act is clear.

Political leaders from the main parties have spent sleepless nights trying to chart the way forward in a manner that is acceptable, not only to Zimbabwean people, but also to the different political players in the country, the African region and the international community. Nation-building can go askew if done improperly.

While many of us had strong misgivings about the final proposals, we nonetheless supported the process because we believed that the consequences of maintaining the acrimony and the deep divisions would be disastrous — not just for the individual families affected by conflict, but for our entire nation and the southern African region.

Historians and other writers have all written about the Zimbabwean non-violent character, sometimes mistaken for docility and tractability. Yet, a fundamental part of that character is the ability to band together in the face of adversity; to come together and ― through ingenuity, guile, hard work and sheer force of will — build something stronger than it was before.

Most people — not only in Zimbabwe, but around the world — have predicted disaster. One report by an international ‘think tank’ said “it would take the country 40 years to recover, if it ever did.” The mixed implications were quite clear: that we should either lie down and die, or quickly get to work. I subscribe to the later.

It shouldn’t seem churlish to sound a warning note. Such reports carry nearly as many dangers as they are warning notes. Of which the greatest is that the international community is tempted to “sit and watch” progress in Zimbabwe before helping to restore the economy.

Progress requires a concerted effort. The irony is that Western governments are calling for concerted international effort to fight the global financial crisis, but somehow think Zimbabwe can register progress without being a part of that international community.

Gradually and almost imperceptibly, Western countries are adopting a “wait and see approach” which is not helpful to our inclusive government. So the omens have been, to say the least, mixed.

Nevertheless Zimbabweans should start the process of nation and state building. However, to build a strong state, our leaders need to know what state to build.

We must recognize that Zimbabwe has some fundamental issues that need resolving; including the national land question. The land question should be resolved in such a manner that takes consideration of the historical inequality and the new economic reality.

While humanitarian problems are fundamentally in the focus in the initial phase, it is dangerous to let them predominate over the long-term issues. There must be an early focus the dangers facing the inclusive government.

National identity

One of the dangers facing the new inclusive government is a skewed national identity.

The preservation of a people's identity instills hope for the future and a motivation to rebuild our lives and our country. Unless we view ourselves as Zimbabweans first, black or white, success will remain a mirage. We need a unifying identity to inspire us.

A benevolent international environment

There has to be a benevolent national, regional and international environment if Zimbabwe is to thrive.

The open or tacit cooperation of the international community and our African brothers and sisters is critical. If neighbours and international forces try to destabilize Zimbabwe, they will sooner or later succeed if our identity and resolve are twisted.

The greater the international support, the easier the process. If there is international meddling and manipulation over the state-building process, this sooner or later risks translating into intractable conflict in Zimbabwe.

We have seen certain sections of the civil society and political organisations repositioning themselves, and spoiling for a new fight, as Zanu PF and the two MDCs are battling to find a way to restore the economy in the inclusive government. This is a sign of things to come — that will undermine the rebuilding of Zimbabwe.

Building peace is a more fragile, complex, costly and drawn–out process than resolving conflict. So, all these civil and political organisations spoiling for a fight should recognize that no amount of progress will be registered unless we fight evil in concert.

We all agree that the reconstruction of Japan following Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings would not have been achieved if all Japanese people did not have a sense of national identity.

The support of the US and the international community also helped Japan regain its glory in a relatively short period. America poured in massive aid. Japanese workers were given the right to organize themselves, women were given the right to vote, the zaibatsu was restructured into the keiretsu, land reforms gave hope to the poor, and all at once the Japanese had greater potential to control their individual destinies.

With the opportunity to peacefully participate in government without consequence greater than ever, overcoming the economic, social and political hurdles was no problem at all for Japan.

Peace-building requires patience

The process of forming an inclusive government has taught us one lesson: that peace-building requires an abundance of patience. Rebuilding the economy and instituting national healing is almost impossible without patience.

Nation-building takes a long time, and requires more resources, than most initially believe. When the Zimbabwe all-party talks started in South Africa in 2007, we were told that everything should be concluded within a few months in anticipation of the March 2008 elections.

When the folly of this ambitious timeline was recognized, a new timeline of a year was given. But it was two years later that we saw the institution of the inclusive Government. Yet the work has only just started.

Give peace a chance

Let us exercise caution and give peace a chance. Let us not quickly condemn those who make mistakes. There are new ministers and leaders who need our support at this juncture. They may still be entrapped in their old populist ways without realizing the formidability of the task in front of them.

There are also veteran politicians stuck in their ways of doing things who have to learn to work with this ambitious new team. They have to be given time to adjust to the new dispensation and understand that times have changed. New times require adjusted thinking.

Quick condemnation will bring quick damnation.

We all agree that our political leaders' appeal has been the formidability of their campaign rhetoric, even when their ideas sometimes appeared cockeyed.

This rhetoric should now translate into action, and we should help them in that endeavour.

Many Zimbabweans and those who do not wish Zimbabwe well are salivating over the prospect of a Mugabe-Tsvangirai match-up. They shouldn't get carried away, otherwise they become our leaders' worst nightmare and impede progress.

If the international community is altruistic in its desire to see change in Zimbabwe it should forget about being the "innocent by-stander" and engage.

All Zimbabweans should take part in the rebuilding process and it is the role of the new government to provide avenues for all Zimbabweans to make a meaningful contribution.

Populations should be rewarded and given a better than fair chance to improve their lives in a peaceful manner. Governments simply cannot go it alone.

Itayi Garande
itayi@talkzimbabwe.com

Labels: ECONOMY, NEOCOLONIALISM

posted by MrK @ 6:10 PM