Now its time for Mugabe to leave

The reports coming out of Zimbabwe are not encouraging by any means. Leaders of the country's ruling ZANU-PF, it is reported, are moaning about plans to have foreign intervention in the current political impasse.

These leaders are saying that the international community should do more to ensure that the re off scheduled for June 27,which is supposed to start in the next few days, is free and fair by keeping off.

Their argument is that the international community is not qualified to decide on behalf of Zimbabweans the future of their own country.

According to the ZANU-PF, President Robert Mugabe is still their flag bearer despite having suffered a humiliating defeat in the closely contested polls. The opposition MDC says time has come for Mugabe to exit from power and a moment for a new political dawn is unstoppable.

But a number of SADC member countries led by South Africa, insist that Zimbabwe deserves more time to undertake a peaceful transition.

The leaders contend that this would ensure that their former war veterans are fully equipped for their new lives and, therefore, not turn to the gun again for sustenance after Mugabe exits from power.

I, for one, support the idea of properly equipping these unfortunate young and old men so that they do not fall prey any more to men whose one reason for supporting Mugabe has been survival. It is a pity that when the AU had the opportunity to do a proper job the first time round, after the elections, it failed to do so. The failure of the AU to act provided ample recruits to unleash violence.

Mugabe has failed to come up with programmes to ensure that the young men he has often misled and those that he used as his goons would eventually lead a settled life once jis regime is changed. The problem was that the ZANU-PF "hardlinerS" did not even have a plan for the country as a whole. As I said, they were just interested in looking after themselves. This is the reason why there is lack of an exit strategy for President Robert Mugabe.

One of the major problems is the succession debate within the ZANU-PF over who takes over the party's leadership from Mugabe, whose tribe has controled the bulk of the country's economy for the last seven years.

There were also fights over who would head key portifolios and other money-spinning parastatals. One of the new parastatal heads, I'm told, has said that he has plans to make cash for Mugabe before he steps down! The army commanders, who never did much commanding or fighting any way, are now ensconced in Harare, enjoying the good life. It is therefore not surprising that some of the more restive war veterans, who are not happy with the way their formers commanders are carrying on, went on the rampage the other day before the election and voted for the opposition MDC.

According to reports, former war veterans went berserk in Bulawayo weeks before the polls, complaining that the ZANU-PF leadership had abandoned them. The disgruntled old and young men played their discontent in the open, beat up civilians and looted several properties in the town, which was once their stronghold.

Groups of youth entered into the offices of the NDC compound and started to completely loot the compound in the presence of the police officers.

Essential and sensitive materials had been taken way," one MDC worker said. "We are disturbed by the looting of our offices by angry ZANU-PF youths who were demanding money .

Both the ZANU-PF and MDC leadership also have a responsibility to ensure that law and order is maintained in the country. After all, they were responsible for arming the young men and getting them to fight on their behalf.

Given that the AU's presence in Zimbabwe appears to be running around in circles, it is important that locals who have any clout should be drafted in to help retrieve a situation that is still volatile, no matter what we are being told by ZANU-PF or SADC bureaucrats in South Africa. Those who recruited the youths and commanded them must be read the riot act by the UN. The world body must tell ZANU-PF and Robert Mugabe in no uncertain terms that if he does not help to control their his former combatants, he will be held responsible for any trouble caused in Zimbabwe.

It is easy for Mugabe and his ZANU-PF leaders to complain about UN non-action in other countries. But what are they themselves doing to make the situation less volatile for the international community? There should be no buck passing,

Tthe rehabilitation of former war veterans should be a principal point of consideration for the international community if it must intervene in Zimbabwe.