After turning Zimbabwe into total heap of misery and a basket case that once was the breadbasket, Robert Mugabe still wants to extend his term until 2010.
Mugabe may have led and fought out the British rule about three decades back, the hero has now turned into an autocrat and the voices that once were his strength and raised in his support has now turned against him. Seven years of political and economic crisis has pushed Zimbabwe towards total collapse.
ZANU-PF, Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front that has been the ruling political front since independence in 1980 under Robert Mugabe, has broken into different factions, which could prove hazardous for the president, for most of the representatives want Mugabe to leave in 2008, therefore, a moderate wing of the party could come to power and rebuild the declining economy of the nation.
With growing resistance against Mugabe inside his own party and nation, Western nations, including the US and Britain, are looking forward to make an opening in the Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF to bring stability in the nation. According to a western diplomat,
There is not much confidence in the opposition. It has let the people down at every turn. There’s not much prospect of them winning an election while Mugabe’s in power and fixing it.
The feeling is that the way forward is a deal between those in Zanu-PF that want rid of Mugabe to try and save their party and those in the opposition prepared to work with them. It’s the best way of bringing about swift change and if they can come to a deal, that changes everything. That is what we are working toward.
Solomon Mujuru, former army chief, is one of the important cards of the Western nations that may stop Mugabe’s extended rule at the forthcoming Zanu-PF central committee meeting on March 29.
On the other, South Africa has also changed its stance of not troubling Mr. Mugabe and held a meeting with Joice, Mr Mujuru’s wife and Zimbabwe’s vice-president. Joice, who has now turned into a great critic of Mogabe, met South Africa’s deputy president, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, in Johannesburg on Friday, possibly to discuss the future political plans.
Mugabe has endured an assassination plot, sanctions from European Union and a surge of blocking Western media persons. How long can he ride his luck and stand firm against all oddities?
The next few months would be decisive for Mugabe as well as Zimbabwe, for western governments are in the mood for confrontation and oust Mugabe, on the other, Mugabe is as determined as ever in his three decade rule of Zimbabwe.
