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Muchadura Dube
THE usually peaceful and tranquil environment engulfing the region was suddenly gripped by tension as the Prime Minister of Lesotho, Mr Thomas Thabane, at the weekend raised alarm as he fled into neighbouring South Africa alleging that the military had staged a coup.
Mr Thabane further raised the possibility of a military coup in that conservative kingdom whose history of political crisis since its independence in 1966 has now become a cause for concern for the region.
Hardly three weeks have passed since the conclusion of a highly subscribed and successful Southern Africa Development Community summit in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, where the SADC leadership led by its chairman, President Mugabe, urged political leaders in Lesotho in its communiqué to show political maturity by resolving the challenges in that country amicably.
In the communiqué, the leaders “appealed to all political leaders and people in general to refrain from any action that may undermine peace and stability in the country and urged political stakeholders to resolve the political challenges in accordance with the constitution, laws of the land in line with the democratic principles”.
Lesotho has on numerous occasions had the military interfering with the activities of the civilian authority of that country. True, the military is a cardinal component of any nation for it has to preserve the sovereignty and territorial integrity of that country. The concern only crops up when it needlessly undermines and pokes its nose in the affairs of a democratically elected and constituted government as in the Lesotho scenario. It is unnecessary and warning signals must be to correct that anomaly given its potent ability in that area.
With the SADC Summit theme having been ably crafted as: “SADC Strategy for Economic Transformation: Leveraging the Regional Diverse Resources for Sustainable Economic and Social Development through Beneficiation and Value Addition”, the expectation was that member states should add within their value systems that critical economic component of beneficiation and value addition.
All systems in member countries should all be driven towards economic empowerment of citizens of individual countries by growing their economies through ensuring that resources do not leave host countries without having gained value hence increasing the Gross Domestic Products of those respective countries. The economic thrusts can open doors for even greater opportunities for citizens to enhance their livelihoods.
Lest the region forgets the millions of lives that were lost during the liberation epoch when thousands of people irrespective of age fought the various oppressive systems in their countries. These were precious lives lost which are irreplaceable.
After that decisive period of political oppression, the region had the ugly hand of the unrepentant detractors who appeared camouflaged in the natives of some of the member states’ citizens, in that context, the Mozambique conflict which resulted in millions of lives being lost and several others permanently maimed and disfigured immediately crops to the fore.
The region’s economic potential and prowess was retarded, slowing down the economic trajectory of Mozambique, its neighbour Zimbabwe and ultimately the region.
The region should not also forget the Democratic Republic of Congo war which also derailed the economic progression of the region. The region’s detractors would not rest to dismantle the economic strides achieved by member states this far. These enemies of the people who pride in global economic hegemony will devise even subtle mechanism to ensure their erstwhile monopoly to the region’s resources is unchecked.
It will be naïve for the region’s leadership to lose sight of the ball and hopelessly chase shadows. The recent pursuance of resource nationalism inclined activities by various movements, some taking a cue from the heroic and progressive people of Zimbabwe has shaken the global economic order to the core with the realisation that the days of regarding the African continent as second class are now a thing of the past. Africa, which has suffered the painful ordeals of being enslaved and simultaneously having its resources looted, these same resources which were used to build Europe and America, cannot continue to be subjugated in broad daylight.
While some opportunistic leaders still believe in the Europeans and Americans as Messiahs yet events on the ground point to these same people as the agents of Africa’s misery, the majority of Africans and the SADC region now understand that only but themselves can be the architects of their economic salvation.
Of course, the writing is on the wall that the SADC region and Africa now pursue a pragmatic paradigm which absolves foreigners on the ills bedevilling the region, in instances where their usual deceit emerges, the region and continent is more than ready to expose it.
This brings me back to the Lesotho question where preliminary indications point to the flagrant overzealousness of certain military personnel whose chosen path of solving the political crisis in that country only foments chaos instead of mitigating it.
Instead of pursuing the economic transformation agenda which can bring relief to the populace in that country, some selfish individuals bent on satisfying their egos have the temerity to destroy the economic potential of that country.
The concerned parties have to realise that the military option has to be the last; dialogue has to be given a chance. In retrospect, the late icon Nelson Mandela, black South Africa’s first black president, could have been right when he coined the famous catch phrase: ‘‘If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner’’.
To our brothers and sisters in Lesotho, the path of finding each other through rigorous dialogue is the only route and only option to rise above your differences.
Muchadura Dube is a Nyanga-based farmer and political analyst.
Online Reporter