(HERALD) President: Voice of the voiceless

President: Voice of the voiceless
Emily Johannes in JOHANNESBURG, South Africa

THE year 2010 has been hectic politically, socially and economically and as usual I had my eyes glued on Sadc, because ever since I migrated from United States of America to South Africa, I have fallen in love with the regional bloc.

I give this year to Sadc and President Robert Mugabe, the latter being a Head of State and Government made of sterner stuff, full of vision, wisdom and political tact. Virtually no one can beat him to the game of politics after turning Sadc into a pool, where regional leaders are huge fish that play, gather, shape and direct their own destiny.

To effectively attack President Mugabe and even effect regime change, the British needed to dismantle Sadc but they failed and ever since that time Sadc has grown from strength to strength. In fact, it is turning into a concrete block, too difficult to crack.

The region is the only one that managed to ward off British, American and European Union pressure to isolate Zimbabwe for undertaking a land reform in which veteran President Robert Mugabe repossessed land from minority white landholders and redistributed it to the black majority who had been deprived of it.

By his admission, former British prime minister Tony Blair, said, in his memoirs that were recently published, said that he wanted to invade Zimbabwe but found Sadc members steadfast and unwavering in their support for President Mugabe.

Sadc is the only regional bloc that categorically, and rightly so, said none of its members will host Africom, the US superior military unit to deal with African and allow America to have an express authority in milking Africa’s resources.

Of interest is how Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, the veteran leader of the country under unjustified US sanctions for a decade, steered Zimbabwe to economic recovery, like the captain of a ship that almost sunk in murky deep sea waters. President Mugabe was cushioned with Sadc.

President Mugabe, who has emerged Sadc’s tried and tested warrior has become a vital cog in the unity within the region and, has, more than anyone else, shown respect for all Sadc decisions that he has earned respect from all and sundry, including mischief boys like Seretse Khama Ian Khama.

Today, Zimbabwe chairs the Sadc Defence Inspectorate Working Group, which is spearheading the formation of the Sadc Standby Brigade. This move must be lauded given that Sadc must come up with a military brigade that it can use for its troubled spots, albeit being just a few.

The recent situation in Madagascar had a potential to explode into a large-scale war and it would put Sadc in quandary given the political dynamics of that island, hence the urgent need to build up the brigade.

The building of the brigade is in line with Sadc’s stance against Africom and in line with the veteran leader and founder member of Sadc, President Mugabe’s stance that Sadc is the mother body for regional countries and that Sadc has the capacity to handle all issues in the region.

There is no doubt that Sadc has depended a lot on President Mugabe in terms of both experience and institutional memory and that the values such as keeping Africom at arms length, should give Sadc the audacity to handle its own matters, without outside interference.

As we move into 2011, all African countries should take cue from Sadc and say no to outside interference. The American and the British, for instance, will not allow African countries, let alone other nations to dictate to them what should happen in their own countries. Which African country has demanded to monitor elections in Europe and declared them not free and fair?

Which African political party has the word democracy on its name and is not a creation of the West? Which African country has a military unit that is seeking a base to operate from in Europe or America.

Africa is the epicentre of natural resources after the senseless plunder that took place in the West. Africa is the last vestige of wildlife and natural resources and what is there today is the battle to control Africa’s resources.

If all regional blocs were sealed like Sadc, if all regional blocs in Africa were as united, protective and operating on common purpose like Sadc, Africa could avert exploitation and control its resources and hence its destiny.

President Mugabe is hated for doing exactly what each African leader should be doing and he is obviously the spokesperson of Sadc because when he speaks they all clap. He is obviously the spokesman for Africa, because when he speaks all African leaders clap their hands. President Mugabe is obviously the spokesperson of all the downtrodden people of the world, because when he speaks, the world shakes and the poor feel him and align with him.

One thing for certain is that Sadc has shown the world that with unity, you can shrug off outside interference. You can actually be shapers and masters of your own destiny. Like or hate him, President Mugabe’s contribution to Sadc has been central to the regional bloc’s anti-imperialism and anti-exploitation stance, which require own control of resources and the military by building their own standby brigade and avoid usingAfricom.

l Emily Johannes is a political scientist based in South Africa. She can be contacted on ej3330 *** yahoo.com