The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube
“Haisiri nyaya yekurwisirana matongerwo enyika ino, inyaya yekuti mhuri yese yeZimbabwe tingaipe here hupfumi ihwohwo saka ndopatinosungirwa kubatana ipapo, kubatana chose (We have been honoured by the whole of Africa and everyone has reason to celebrate whether one belongs to Zanu-PF or MDC).’’
These were the words said by President Mugabe to sum up the rise of Zimbabwe to the helm of both Sadc and the African Union (AU), noting that Zimbabwe’s profile in Africa had risen as shown by the vote of confidence vested in the country by not only Sadc, but also the African Union.
On 25 May, the country joins the rest of the continent in remembering Africa Day. However, this time around the day comes at a time when the country is chairing both AU and Sadc, a move which left the country’s detractors with egg on face as they did not expect African countries to show this much confidence in Zimbabwe.
Africa Day is the annual commemoration on 25 May of the 1963 founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). On this day, leaders of 30 of the 32 independent African States signed a founding charter in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In 1991, the OAU established the African Economic Community, and in 2002 the OAU established its own successor, the African Union.
This year’s ascension bears greater significance as it overrode the demonisation of Zimbabwe and President Mugabe by Western governments and their embedded media who wanted to make the country an AU agenda item.
The same Westerners also opposed President Mugabe’s election by claiming that a country under their sanctions could not hold such a post.
The AU, its organs and partners have several times condemned Western sanctions on Zimbabwe and called for their immediate removal.
President Mugabe’s AU ascension marks the second time in the history of the continental body that Zimbabwe has been elected to this position.
The President — who is the Sadc chair — led the then Organisation of African Unity, the AU’s predecessor, between 2 June 1997 and 8 June 1998.
Africa has five Regional Economic Communities; namely Sadc, Ecowas, the East African Community, the Economic Community of Central African States and the Community of Sahel-Saharan States.
Other REC’s recognised by the AU are the Arab Maghreb Union, Comesa and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, though these do not factor in the rotation and election.
Some sections of the pro-opposition private media and their quasi-political allies in the NGO community have been following the Western lead of trying to belittle the significance of President Mugabe’s ascension to the helm of the AU bureau by claiming that the chairmanship was ceremonial.
The AU chairperson position is also quite a significant one as President Mugabe is the only head of State who was present at the formation of the OAU in 1963.
In his acceptance speech at the AU, President Mugabe took delegates down memory lane to the time he attended the historic meeting convened by African leaders in Addis Ababa on 25 May 1963 as a representative of Zanu.
He said: ‘‘More than five decades ago, I had the unique privilege, as a representative of Zanu, a liberation movement then, to attend the historic occasion of the founding of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963, here in Addis Ababa.
“It was indeed a momentous occasion at which Africa decisively took destiny into its own hands.’’
Commenting on President Mugabe’s ascension to the AU chair, Foreign Affairs Minister Cde Simbarashe Mumbengegwi said while it was true that the chairmanship was rotational, the turn-taking pertained to the continent’s five regional economic communities and not individual States.
“Let me begin by expressing our appreciation for the vote of confidence and recognition that has been accorded our President. I know that there are some who may believe that the notion of chairing the AU is rotational, that is not strictly correct,” Minister Mumbengegwi said.
“What is rotational are the regions. There are five regions and every year each region gets the opportunity to chair our organisation but the country which actually chairs the organisation is selected by the regions.
“So, for Zimbabwe to become a candidate for election as chair, our Southern African region had to select Zimbabwe to be their candidate for their turn to chair the organisation.’’
He added that while it was true that Sadc had selected Zimbabwe as its candidate, the vote had more to do with President Mugabe’s stature.
“The fact that the Southern Africa region selected Zimbabwe is correct but it is more accurate to say they selected President Robert Gabriel Mugabe because his position on the continent is unique. He is about the only sitting President who rubbed shoulders with the founding fathers; I do not know whether I should also say founding mothers, of our organisation.
“He was there in 1963 representing our liberation movement when the OAU was formed in 1963. He was there and those of that generation to which he belonged are now gone. We now have a generation of younger leaders whose appreciation of the founding principles and ideals of our organisation is through what they heard or what they read rather than what they actually experienced.
“He is about the only sitting president who can tell you about Nkrumah, who Nasser was and so on. So, he is kind of a bridge between the founders and the current generation. So the region found it befitting that a leader of his stature should lead our organisation at this point in time. So, it’s really recognition, an accolade which has been extended to our President and we as a nation appreciate it very much indeed.”
In an interview, political analyst and University of Zimbabwe chairperson in the Department of Political Science Professor Charity Manyeruke said the fact that this year when Zimbabwe celebrates Africa Day, President Mugabe would be at the helm of both the regional body, Sadc and the continental body, AU, was testimony of the type of leader President Mugabe was.
“This is a great occasion for us Zimbabweans as we are not only celebrating our Africanness but we are also celebrating the fact that our revered leader is at the helm of these two strategic bodies. It is more significant considering that this clearly shows the amount of respect President Mugabe has garnered over the years.
“I believe as Zimbabweans we should embrace this day, value its importance and celebrate our leaders. As Africans we should also celebrate our being one, our being Africans and fight off whatever makes us fight against each other like the unfortunate cases of xenophobia or Afrophobia as it has been referred to in other circles,” said Prof Manyeruke.
Dr Sikhanyiso Ndlovu also noted the significance of the day, saying this was an opportunity for Africa to foster the spirit of unity.
“The chairperson of AU and Sadc, who is also our own President, President Mugabe, is an advocate of unity, testimony to this is his signing of the Unity Accord together with the late Vice-President Dr Joshua Nkomo.
“Therefore the fact that President Mugabe is now chair of these bodies should be taken as a very important symbolism as, I believe as Africans we must take this opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the leaders who started the then OAU and foster the unity of purpose which they advocated for and which inspired them to form the organisation,” said Dr Ndlovu.
As the sole surviving Head of State and Government to have attended that historic 1963 OAU Summit, President Mugabe has been described as the remaining link between the politics of liberation and post-colonial politics.
He has also been described as the right candidate to set the continental body — which has been accused of deviating from the noble objectives of the founding fathers — back on track.
