Brussels and the extravagant First Lady: Psyche of a geriatric exposed

By William Muchayi

Africa finds herself condemned to the dustbins of history not as a result of some unknown external machinations, accident nor is it by design or predestination, but largely due to a leadership deficiency that exposes the continent to self -serving vultures who have an insatiable thirst for personal aggrandisement at the expense of their people as exposed by the feud between Brussels and Harare over Grace Mugabe’s visa.

Among other issues , the EU-Africa summit has been deliberating on the consolidation of trade relations between the two blocs , global warming , environmental issues as well as technology transfer in order to fast track Africa’s development.

In a bid to derail the whole summit, Mugabe unsuccessfully lobbied the whole continent to boycott the gathering, before pulling out the diamond-rich impoverished Southern African state instead after being ignored by fellow comrades .

The EU’s refusal to grant Grace a visa was top on the list among other grievances Mugabe raised with the Western bloc to justify the boycott by the whole continent. Oh dear dear! This stance, although appearing trivial on face value, underneath reflects the rot in African politics which largely explains the continent’s demise and current state of stagnation and retrogression.

With due respect, is Mugabe of the opinion that his wife’s visa is more important than issues to be deliberated on at the summit?

Barack Obama was in Europe recently without his wife who was in the Far East and taking into consideration Zimbabwe’s ailing economy , what justification is there for the incumbent to be accompanied by his wife and children on taxpayers’ expense with the majority of the population surviving on less than a dollar a day?

In any case , the EU was justified in refusing the First Lady a visa for she was not an invited guest and any attempt to equate Mugabe’s status to that of his wife is misleading which ultimately renders the argument fallacious . Africa is on her knees because her leaders can’t differentiate personal from state business and Mugabe’s birthday, just like his daughter’s weeding are treated as state functions that suck the meagre resources available at the expense of the majority poor.

With this parochial mindset that has ruined the continent which the EU can’t entertain , Mugabe naively attempts to influence other leaders to boycott the summit and to the surprise of many , even Christopher Mutsvangwa can’t realise how absurd Harare’s stance is on the issue as evidenced by his attack of Simbarashe Mumbengegwi ‘s failure to handle the matter properly .

All this fiasco occurs within the backdrop of a crippling economic crisis that threatens the survival of the country and considering the fact that Mugabe travels with a delegation of between 80 and 100 people every time he goes to a summit blowing not less than US$10 million per summit at a time hospitals do not have drugs let alone running water.

Assuming that His Excellency needs the First Lady by his side all the time he goes on foreign errands, one wonders whether the incumbent has started experimenting on diapers which among other requirements can only be changed by his wife and not aides? If that is not the case, how else can Mugabe’s argument be justified within the context of Zimbabwe’s crippling economic crisis to have the luxury of being accompanied by his family all the time?

Not only that, Mugabe’s attendance at the EU-Africa summit wouldn’t have helped the country much, taking into consideration the fact that due to advanced age, he is on record for being asleep most of the time during these conferences. At the age of 90 years, the incumbent is fortunate to be able to walk without aid but he can’t defy nature by being awake most of the time in spite of his youthful ego.

Of late, the incumbent has been singing the Look East Policy from the top of his voice and of what significance is the EU-Africa summit which among other goals, aims to consolidate ties between the two blocs? Isn’t Mugabe contradicting himself if his public anti-western utterances are anything to go by?

Naively , the geriatric attempts to portray his differences with the West as a fight pitting Africa and the imaginary monster of imperialism fronted by Europe . Unfortunately for Mugabe , it’s only the polygamous Zuma who could buy this cheap argument , with the majority of states ignoring him .

At the age of 90 years, Mugabe is selfish enough not only to drag his impoverished country with him to his grave, but the whole continent. Indeed, for the geriatric, there is no future, for his death should as well signal the end of the universe. It is this mindset that forces the incumbent to cling onto power to this day for according to his philosophy, he is Zimbabwe.

In defence of his master, George Charamba who is Mugabe’s spokesman fumes, ‘we are sovereign and equals and the EU cannot decide on our delegation.’ Can Charamba elaborate on his notion of sovereignty more so when it is not a secret that most of the delegates on such summits from Africa would be carrying begging bowls?

Since when have beggars been treated equals with their masters who provide for their survival? Surely, Africans can’t be treated as equals on the global arena as long as they thrive on begging without being able to sustain themselves. It is a fallacy for Charamba to foolishly mislead Zimbabweans into believing that Europe and Africa are equals for the two are not.

Until that time when Africans stop relying on crumbs that fall from foreigners’ tables , the talk of equality is invalid and void. In fact, begging is the last practice associated with honour, dignity and respect on the part of Africans if ever they dream of being treated as equals.

In the same token, the EU’s snub of Omar Al Bashir is justified for he is an ICC inductee. Eritrea, Zimbabwe and Egypt shouldn’t have been invited in the first place for they all share a common DNA in autocracy and despotism and had it not been for the EU’s double standards, fewer countries should have been invited in the first place.

Anyway, has the First Lady let alone His Excellency been to Tokwe- Mukosi to have an eye witness account of the floods? Grace’s visa to the EU shouldn’t have been an issue on Mugabe’s mind if he is genuine and educated as he claims but instead the victims of floods who sleep in the open without any government support.

Recent reports that Zanu PF has barred Morgen Tsvangirai from visiting flood victims at a time Mugabe isn’t bothered about their welfare exposes the inhuman nature of the incumbent who claims to have the country at heart but finds it reasonable to boycott a summit in protest over his wife’s visa .

This absurd behaviour by the First family is the equivalent of the folly by the proverbial man who leaves his burning house to pursue a rat fleeing from the flames.

Genuine leadership is tested during times of hardships but Mugabe and Grace have the luxury to fight over the imaginary enemy for a visa that would enable them to shop in Brussels and Harrods. Africa is poor and in a state of paralysis because her leadership is gripped by mental poverty and more often than not, her people are powerless to demand what belongs to them , but instead naively believe that they are victims of destiny.

William Muchayi is a pro-democracy and political analyst who can be contacted on [email protected]