Of football and politics

Local football fans have turned expert statisticians that know just about every little fact on Zimbabwean and international soccer.

Even politicians regularly use football as symbolic reference to their line of work.
After the 2008 Zanu-PF election campaign, that was characterised by protest votes from disenchanted sections of the party, President Mugabe termed the unfortunate action, ‘Bhora Musango’, a metaphoric inference to deliberate disdain of the common goals of the party.

And on April 23 2008, Herald cartoonist Innocent Mpofu presented an editorial cartoon on Zimbabwean politics using football as a metaphor.

It shows Zanu-PF and MDC-T in the middle of the ground and about to kick off.
In the middle is Thabo Mbeki, in referees’ black uniform and a whistle in his raised right hand, suggesting that he may be about to let the action begin.

But MDC-T, represented here by its leader Morgan Tsvangirai, suggests that the referee, Mr Mbeki be substituted and replaced by the now late Zambian president, Levi Mwanawasa, who stands next to the opposition leader.

Mr Mwanawasa, the supposed standby referee, dons the same uniform as Tsvangirai, as does British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and US president George W. Bush, who all shout in acknowledgment of the substitution proposal. Sadc leaders merely observe from a distance. The cartoon refers to behind the scenes negotiations for a power sharing deal between the MDC and Zanu-PF. Zimbabwe is part of the regional bloc — Sadc. In 2008, Sadc leaders noted the deteriorating relations between the two main political parties in Zimbabwe and in 2007, at a summit in Tanzania, the regional body appointed South African president Thabo Mbeki to mediate, as a way “to promote dialogue of the parties in Zimbabwe”.

The harmonised elections held in 2008, and the Sadc guidelines that regulated them were agreements brokered at the talks. Though Zimbabweans went to the polls to elect new leadership on March 29 2008, talks aimed at securing a political solution were taking place behind the scenes.

A major fallout occurred at the talks in April 2008,  when Mbeki said, “there is no crisis in Zimbabwe”, a statement he later elaborated on by insisting he referred to the election situation and not the broader Zimbabwe situation. This resulted in Tsvangirai questioning the impartiality of the South African leader to broker a deal acceptable to the MDC.

On April 17, Tsvangirai stated without elaborating, “We want to thank Mbeki for all his efforts, but he needs to be relieved of his duty”.

Tsvangirai suggested that then Zambian president; the late Mwanawasa should replace Mbeki, declaring, “We have asked Mwanawasa to lead a new initiative due to the urgent situation in Zimbabwe caused by the violence, intimidation and changing electoral conditions”.

The G8, a grouping of the most powerful states that include Britain and the United States, opposed Mbeki’s handling of the talks, suggesting that the South African leader was not putting enough pressure on President Mugabe for political reforms in Zimbabwe.

Yet despite the reservations by the MDC and the Western countries, Sadc refused to bow down to pressure and retained Mbeki as the mediator for the Zimbabwe talks. Zimbabwe Government undoubtedly felt uneasy with Mwanawasa, who had a year before had become the first African leader to voice strong public criticism of the Government south of Zambia’s border, likening Zimbabwe to “a sinking Titanic whose passengers are jumping out in a bid to save their lives”.

The composition, a metaphorical representation of the Zimbabwe talks, shows the main players in Zimbabwe’s political paradigm in a soccer field.

Action has, however, stopped as the players, referee and onlookers listen to Tsvangirai.
Text is used to label the majority of those present, namely Mbeki, Sadc league leaders, former American president George W. Bush and then British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Though two other figures are labelled ‘MDC-T’ and Zanu-PF, the context in which they are presented suggests they are Morgan Tsvangirai and President Mugabe respectively. Tsvangirai’s speech bubble reflects his April 17, statement that suggested Mbeki should be replaced by Mwanawasa.

The repeated shouts of affirmation by the two Western leaders in the background reflect the supposed twinning of Zimbabwe opposition views to those of their alleged handlers.

The irony in the composition is provided by the treatment of one particular artefact — the soccer uniforms. Tsvangirai, Bush, Brown and Mwanawasa are depicted wearing similar uniforms.

Mwanawasa in particular is being suggested as a replacement for Mbeki, seen wearing an impartial black uniform, yet appears as part of Tsvangirai’s team.

The irony is extended to include the two western leaders that are seen to be also playing for Tsvangirai’s team. The ball is understandably big, exaggerated to suggest the magnitude of the issue facing the Zimbabwe leadership. The two Western leaders in the background are depicted with exaggerated long noses, suggesting they are alien to the forum and subject being discussed. The noses heighten the conflict caused by the interference by Western leaders on an internal issue that is being solved by fellow African leaders.

The calmness shown by Mbeki and Mugabe caricatures, juxtaposed with the animated portrayals of Mwanawasa and Tsvangirai suggest that the appointed referee and one party are ready for the talks that are being disrupted by a group coming to the negotiating field with bad intentions.

As a result Mugabe, on the ball and with remarkably fitter physique in comparison to his rival, is seen as calm, fit physically and in control while Mbeki is portrayed as a fair mediator.

Tsvangirai is viewed as a dishonest player seeking an unfair advantage in the negotiations; while Mwanawasa is seen as a willing participant in a charade plot to control Zimbabwe’s mediated issue.
Bush and Brown are seen as eavesdropping politicians openly meddling in Zimbabwe’s internal affairs to rid Zimbabwe’s political playing field of President Mugabe.

By using the popular sport as a metaphoric representation, Innocent Mpofu succeeded, with satirical connotations, in telling the Zimbabwean story based on information that was available in local and international press.