Hope for Zimbabwe

The news from Zimbabwe, for the first time in many months, offers a modicum of hope. This week we heard that the ruling Zanu-PF party, led by Robert Mugabe, had provisionally agreed to a power-sharing proposal that would bring the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), led by Morgan Tsvingarai, into the government. This is a very shaky moment, with many opportunities for violence or other obstacles to emerge.

A good friend of mine from "Zim" has two interesting quotes posted on his website, that when read together provide a glimpse at how Zimbabwe's many years of misfortune, and its current predicament, must be considered in balance -- in both negative and hopeful terms. On the one hand, there are the words of a southern African layperson, who says straightforwardly, "There is no ubuntu here." In other words, to all those who might hope that Zim would have been another shining example of a full, nonviolent transition to a democratic state that exemplifies human rights, be warned that it is not so simple. (And, of course, we should remember that South Africa's transition was not all rose-colored, either.)

On the other hand, my friend's website also highlights African liberation leader Patrice Lumumba, who led the Congo to a short-lived period of democracy. Lumumba offers this visionary reflection:

History will one day have its say, but it will not be the history that Brussels, Paris, Washington, or the United Nations will teach, but that which they will teach in the countries emancipatied from colonialism and its puppets. Africa will write its own history, and it will be, to the north and to the south of the Sahara, a history of glory and dignity.

Clearly, this is a critical moment for Zimbabwe, as well as its neighbors. Tens of thousands of Zimbabweans have fled in the past few years to South Africa, straining that country's limited resources -- and leading to attacks on immigrants. The Zimbabwean government has apparently run out of paper to print money, according to an article in today's UK Guardian newspaper. The U.S. and European governments are pressing for strong economic sanctions on the country, which could lead to further chaos as people compete for food and staples -- it's hard to believe that things could get worse in a nation that has had the world's highest inflation rate in the past few years, estimated at over two million percent!

So we must hope that the "full-scale talks" that are scheduled to begin tomorrow will lead to a long-term solution that will end the violence and stabilize the precarious economy. One way for you to help now is to donate to the Zimbabwe Solidarity Fund, which is managed by several credible U.S. NGOs that progressive activists have known through the years: Africa Action, the Priority Africa Network, the TransAfrica Forum, and other faith-based groups.