14 June 2000
Mugabe Following in Footsteps of Africa's Dictators, Critic Says
(Economist Ayittey comments at Freedom Forum meeting) (880) By Jim Fisher-Thompson Washington File Staff Writer Washington -- President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe is "following in the footsteps" of African dictators who since the end of the colonial era have made a shambles of their nations' political and economic futures by placing their own interests above those of the countries' citizens, says Professor George Ayittey. The Ghanaian-born economist made his comments during a June 9 panel discussion about Zimbabwe's upcoming election, sponsored by the media institute Freedom Forum. The discussion took place at the institute's headquarters in Rosslyn, Virginia, outside Washington. Ayittey, an associate professor of economics at American University, is also founder of the Free Africa Foundation, an organization that promotes political and economic reform on the continent. In the June 24-25 elections, Ayittey said, all 160 seats in Zimbabwe's Parliament will be contested. Currently Mugabe's ruling Zimbabwe African National Union -Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) controls 157 seats. Mark Chavunduka, a Zimbabwean journalist on the panel who was arrested and detained briefly by Mugabe, said he believes that "even if the election is free and fair," ZANU-PF will probably win between 60 and 70 seats. According to Ayittey, "what is happening in Zimbabwe is extremely sad. Sad because President Mugabe is following in the footsteps of Africa's first generation of post-colonial leaders," who helped win independence for their countries, but "who [then] declared themselves president for life and became intolerant of criticism." Mugabe, who has led Zimbabwe since 1980, is following a classic pattern of divide and rule that Ayittey mentioned in his book "Africa Betrayed," published in 1992. Playing ethnic and racial groups against each other became a favorite tactic of African rulers who feared multiparty democracy and an open press and constituted a form of "black neocolonialism," Ayittey wrote. According to Ayittey, "it is just not good enough for commentators always to blame external factors for Africa's misery." Now, the economist said, Mugabe's aim is to keep his party in power by undermining the elections -- while also diverting public attention from his government's expensive military intervention in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He is doing this by portraying the country's land ownership issue as a battle to the death between a minority of rich white farmers and poor, landless black Zimbabweans, he explained. Ayittey said that "no one disputes the inevitable need for land reform" in Zimbabwe, but he stressed that it is wrong for Mugabe to keep threatening to take land illegally and without compensation from anyone. The call for a public invasion and occupation of the mostly white-owned lands, Ayittey said, is "a diversion for an economy that has been mismanaged and is in shambles." Racial tension has affected farming production adversely, which in turn has shaken the economy of Zimbabwe, causing U.S. investors to think twice about investing in the region, the economist stated. For Ayittey the question is, "Do you resolve the land dispute in a non-violent manner ... or in an atmosphere of violence orchestrated by President Mugabe and his thugs?" Basically, he said, "you have a president who is not willing to live by the will of the people" and so "you have a country where there is no rule of law, and this is very disturbing." The U.S. government addressed the issue when State Department Acting Spokesman Philip Reeker, in a statement issued June 8, said that "violence and intimidation are undermining the rule of law and the very foundation of democracy in Zimbabwe. "The United States calls on the government of Zimbabwe to make the right choices to lead Zimbabwe to genuine democracy and prosperity," he said. "We condemn the ongoing campaign of violence and intimidation being waged by the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF)." Another member of the Freedom Forum panel, Zimbabwean Ambassador Imbi Veke Mubako, acknowledged that "an estimated 6,000 people have invaded different farms." Ambassador Mubako, a former minister of justice, said: "The government has now brought in a legal instrument whereby farms will be acquired by the government and people will be taken from these occupied lands and resettled in an orderly and peaceful way. This will be done in the next six months, when you will see an accelerated program taking place ... with or without foreign aid." Asked if he believed whites were willing to part with their land, Mubako said: "The truth of the matter is that white farmers are enjoying a very high standard of living -- as good as the standard of living of farmers in this country [U.S.]. You've got people who own ... huge estates ... making millions of [Zimbabwean] dollars a year, whereas a good income for an ordinary Zimbabwean farmer is about $100,000 a year. So, on the whole, they [white farmers] are very reluctant to lose the privileges which they have." Mubako summed up his government's attitude toward the white farmer when he said that in Zimbabwe "you have the country's natural resources controlled by people who have no loyalty to their country." (The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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