ugnet_: BUSH LEAVES AFRICA A SOBER MAN

[Mulindwa Edward]

Political Editor Munyaradzi Huni JUST as I predicted last week, the past week was really an exciting one. What with the Texan gunslinger, President George W. Bush, who not so long ago called Africa a country, finally realising that Africa is actually a continent, and what with the MDC in episode two of its "final push". One just had to follow the Texan as he travelled from Senegal, South Africa, Botswana, Uganda and Nigeria to see how sober Mr Bush was getting as he came face to face with the stunning realities in Africa. And one just had to listen to the reactions from the MDC camp, especially Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, to understand why Zimbabwe’s supposed main opposition party would never get into power. It really was an exciting time. Despite the excitement, there are two things that are certain to happen after the Texan’s visit. One — This trip to Africa by Mr Bush will definitely force America to re-think and re-shape its foreign policy towards Africa. Two — This trip will definitely open up the eyes of the MDC leadership and make them realise that it’s a waste of time to think Britain and America will smuggle them into power. The game has to be played at home, and here in Zimbabwe. One also hopes that the message has now been sent home that Mr Tsvangirai never learns and is too green to understand even the basics in politics. Did you hear his utterances before, during and after Mr Bush’s visit to South Africa? Surely the MDC has to start getting serious. On the other hand, as Mr Bush was being sobered up by Africa’s complexities and the MDC exposing its political naivety, the pro-America and pro-MDC media was deflated as the master failed to do what they hoped he would do. "Bush to get tough with Mbeki", "Bush to push for regime change in Zimbabwe" and "Tough time for Mbeki", the newspapers screamed. Of course, Mr Bush, with the assistance of that House Negro, Secretary of State Mr Colin Powell, had done what these newspapers wanted by pretending as if the US government was going for the final kill against President Mugabe. Like a tried and tested politician that he is, President Mugabe kept his cool and all he did was to urge African leaders not to be intimidated by Mr Bush’s presence. His job was done. The American president, together with a troop of other government officials, arrived in Senegal on Monday, proceeded to South Africa, Botswana and Uganda and yesterday left Nigeria for home. During the week-long visit, Mr Bush was called a "butcher" by protestors in Senegal after his unjustified war in Iraq and in South Africa he was told to "Go away, we have enough Bushes in Africa". Another interesting placard read: "A village in Texas is missing an idiot". Other placards showered lots of praise on President Mugabe. But it was the tone of the once over-excited pro-American and pro-MDC newspapers that was even more interesting. "Bush goes soft on Mugabe", was the headline in the UK Mirror. "Bush denies rift with South Africa", the CNN reported. South Africa’s Business Day screamed: "Mbeki wins warm backing from Bush over Zimbabwe". President Mugabe had scored a major victory after his South African counterpart Thabo Mbeki had maintained his stance during talks with Mr Bush that the problems in Zimbabwe can only be solved by Zimbabweans themselves. Mr Bush, who all along thought Cde Mbeki could become his client in "dealing" with President Mugabe, was sobered up by this stance and he put his tail between his legs. He surprised many when he came out of the meeting and declared that he agreed with President Mbeki's approach in dealing with Zimbabwe. Didn’t I say it last week that Mr Bush has the resources but he doesn’t have the brains? Of course, some people, especially those mesmerised by anything done by an American leader, will try to sell around a theory that something bigger than what Mr Bush and Cde Mbeki told us was discussed behind the scenes, but isn’t it enough that Mr Bush with all his bullyboy rhetoric, was made to "climb down" and publicly make a U-turn on his previous position regarding Zimbabwe? In any case, if something big was discussed behind the scenes and Mr Bush was afraid to tell it to the world, then it shows that he realises the power of Africa and he realises who he is dealing with. From now on, America’s foreign policy when dealing with Africa will be shaped by the knowledge that despite weak economies, this continent is not a continent of pushovers. Mr Bush now knows that there are African leaders who are prepared and have the brains to fight imperialism. Thanks to the trip, Africans will never be treated like the Nile Cabbage that goes where the tide is going. And thanks to the trip, the MDC, particularly its embattled leader Mr Tsvangirai, exposed its countless weaknesses to the world. Before Mr Bush visited South Africa, the MDC leadership, including its secretary-general Welshman Ncube, who is supposed to be a professor, lambasted President Mbeki, saying he is "immature and was not an honest broker" in assisting Zimbabwe to solve its problems. Like reckless and direction-less political upstarts that they are, the MDC leaders got over-excited after the US government, still drunk with lies in the media, indicated that they wanted to "deal" with President Mugabe during the trip to Africa. They thought that finally, President Mbeki would be whipped into line and start "getting tough" with President Mugabe. These MDC leaders seem not to understand a thing about African and Zimbabwean politics. It’s like they are coming from another planet where there is no politics. Their naivety is shocking. Like they always do whenever they see an opportunity, the MDC leaders sent a team to South Africa hoping to meet Mr Bush, but all they met were some low-ranking US government officials and, of course, the CIA agents. Too bad! But then things really got bad when Mr Bush described President Mbeki as an "honest broker" in trying to assist Zimbabwe find a solution to its problems. The MDC team was stunned and its beleaguered leader back home did the expected. He fell short of calling President Mbeki a liar and described the SA leader’s comments that Zanu- PF and MDC were dialoguing as "patently false and mischievous". One SA political analyst, Chris Landsburg, described Mr Tsvangirai’s response to the outcome of talks between Mr Bush and Cde Mbeki in the SA’s The Star newspaper as "unstrategic". He said Mr Tsvangirai had shot himself in the foot with his comments. This may be news in South Africa, but in Zimbabwe we are used to seeing the MDC leader shooting himself in the foot several times. No wonder why people now look at him and laugh whenever he speaks. After consultations, Mr Tsvangirai later tried to find his way out of this confusion, saying indeed something was happening between Zanu- PF and MDC, but these were just "factions in Zanu-PF trying to court the MDC". What a pathetic way of trying to cover up for another pathetic move! They call it "blunders galore"! So I guessed right last week. The past week really was an exciting week. After such an exciting week, I would send Mr Bush a farewell card with the following message: GO WELL, MR BUSH! HOPE YOU GOT THE OIL YOU WANTED AND HOPE THE TRIP TO GOREE ISLAND IN SENEGAL WILL HELP YOU NOT TO STEAL THE AMERICAN ELECTION NEXT YEAR.               The Mulindwas Communication Group "With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy"             Groupe de communication Mulindwas "avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie"