Zimbabwe’s former Finance Minster Simba Makoni has thrown a new challenge to President Robert Mugabe by declaring himself as an independent presidential candidate. This is a significant defection from the ruling Zanu-PF party which expelled Mr. Makoni from the party this week. Although the former Finance Minister has made it clear that he was not against his President Mugabe but urged Zanu-PF party members to follow him for the sake of the people of Zimbabwe and start a process of reconciliation to take the poverty-ridden country forward.
Mr. Makoni described his country as a sad nation full of fear. He said, “[It is] a polarised nation in deep stress and one characterised by disease and extreme poverty.” The question is how effective would be Simba Makoni in giving President Mugabe a run for his money although international analysts are predicting an unfair elections with Mugabe pulling all the strings for a sixth term. The situation is very difficult in Zimbabwe with secret media stories from the highly restrictive country reporting of Mugabe secret police excesses against opposition and anti-Mugabe supporters making the upcoming March 29 election an uneven playing field.
Coming back to Mr. Makoni, the former Finance Minister has promised that if elected he would ‘address national issues that separate and divide us as a nation and institute a process of national healing.’Analysts believe that the arrival of a new Mugabe challenger would breathe life into a supposedly bleak opposition and western campaign to dislodge the 83-year old Mugabe from his 28-year old rule of the Southern African country. It is too early to say whether opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)would join hands with Mr. Makoni but there is a growing feeling that Mr. Tsvangirai would not let a golden opportunity to beat President Mugabe go by. With Zimbabwe under serious economic downfall, with inflation rate being the highest in the world at 26,000% and the poor Zimbabweans are without any basic foodstuff to lead normal lives, this is the right time that all the opposition parties join forces to topple President Mugabe.
Although Mr. Tsvangirai praised Mr. Makoni for his courage and patriotism, the former has referred to irreparable differences between the two would not let them forge a united front.
The MDC leader was quoted as saying in Johannesburg, South Africa:
He(Makoni)participated in the Zanu-PF politburo, while hopes of liberation were squandered, while our economy was destroyed, while a quarter of our population has fled. He stood by and did nothing.
It remains to be seen what would be the next steps from both Tsvangirai and Makoni although many believe that South African President Thabo Mbeki should pressurize President Mugabe in ensuring a free and fair poll so that everyone has a chance to shine. But one doubts it would ever happen under Mugabe.
Source Link: BBC
Image Link: BBC
