Monday 15 September 2008

Hero in Zimbabwe, Zero at Home

So Jacob Zuma, or more specifically his ANC colleagues, are seemingly hell bent on ousting Thabo Mbeki as South African President after the damning high court judgement stated that he had interfered in the prosecution of Zuma for corruption. Well, in sharp contrast to the vultures circling around the ‘dead snake’ as Zuma so diplomatically described Mbeki at the weekend, the South African president’s successful ‘quiet’ diplomacy in neighbouring Zimbabwe – culminating in the historic power sharing (of sorts) has garnered him enough accolades in that country to perhaps provide him with a much needed escape route. If Zuma and his Umshini Wam’ brigade have their way, Mbeki wont even finish his final term as president. Which brings me to Mbeki’s facilitation of the Zimbabwe deal, which really had seemed unreachable only a few days ago. My humble suggestion is that having spent considerable amount of time shuttling to and sleeping over in Zimbabwe in recent months, the soon to be ex-president may find it more comfortable and much safer to set up his retirement home in one of the plush suburbs of Harare or perhaps Bulawayo, which would be much closer to home. Certainly, Prime Minister and the President of Zimbabwe will be happy to oblige. It’s the least they can do in return. In any case, with many Zimbabweans recalling how farcical the previous government of national unity turned out to be, a readily available Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki may just be the man to referee this unwieldy and incongruous political marriage of convenience. Time will tell!