via Dictators have no end game: Tendai Biti DECEMBER 16, 2013
Wananchi would have been amused by Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s rumblings on, this week following his attendance of that great Mandela memorial in Soweto on Tuesday.
To many the announcement that he was now retiring in 2014 may have appeared to be of Damascene proportions. The ultimate realization that he was a man of the past and needed to go.
A flash of heavenly lighting hit and intruded on his extrovert soul and suddenly he found a new path. In this case he in fact found no path and faced with a cul de sac he announced he would retire. Or to use his own language “there would be no rap”.
The statements attributed to him are the stuff of a great comedy.
“I am going home,I didn’t realize just how the world has changed, till I went to South Africa.”
Museveni being Museveni had to rub it in.
“I have travelled a lot in Africa and abroad. I do not want to be like our neighbour with retired presidents so old they can no longer run a kilometer.’
The thing is is this no comedy but a farce of tragic proportions.
The thing this is no laughing matter at all but caricatures the present dilemma of Africa.
The heart of the African crises.
This is a man who is 69, has been in power for 27 years since January 1986.
This a man who has altered a very decent Constitution to remove term limits and allow himself the right to serve as he pleases.
This a man obsessed by the opposition, which he treats with contempt and disdain.
Dr Kizza Besigye, the main opposition leader is regularly assaulted and incarcerated without cause.
In Museveni s mind his party the NRM, National Resistance Movement has a God given right to rule. Ugandans owe the NRM an eternal debt for fighting and ousting the arch dictator Idi Amin Dada and the corrupt and inept Milton Obote.
This is a man who has run the country under the same legal order of repression of the past. Refining among other things the colonial Public Order Security Act into a Public Order Management Act.
Yet had Museveni known when to retire he would have retired as one of Africa s greatest sons.
For years he fought in the mountains against Amin.
Inheriting empty coffers he bravely adopted radical economic policies that saw the massive turn around of the economy. In the process producing some of Africa s young economists who are flooding the African Development Bank and the World Bank.
In the mid 90′s the West was hailing same as the leader of a new crop of transformational leaders.
But alas that legacy is gone.
The old Museveni is a tin pot dictator save that he is far much more intelligent and articulate than the old stereotype urchin whose teeth often times discovered Colgate rather late.
This certainly has something to do with the productive years he spend at Dar University mingling with the likes of Mamood Mamdan, Shifji, Walter Rodney and other greats of his time.
Uganda is a typical African state characterized by partocracy , corruption ,clientelism ,patronage and patriarchy. Even the news that he would retire did not cheer up the Ugandan Wananchi. Many thought this was a belated April Fools joke.
The few who took it seriously are well aware that, Museveni s own son, Muhoozi Kaineruguba is being groomed to take over. Wananchi , the common physcotic disorder of the tin pot, is that he has no idea of the cardinal rule that we all come, we all go.
He has no idea that the most assured way of eating into one s own proud legacy is to over stay. The thing is the dictator has no end game. Has no other plan except to hold on to power. The end game and the middle game are all the same .Just hold on to power.
The dictator would never make a good chess player.
It is precisely because there is no end game that there is no orderly succession in Africa. The tin pot can and does not allow discussion on succession. The S word is a taboo subject, a treasonous term only whispered in corridors.
In the end when it is clear that the dictator because of age can not hold on, it looks to its own busy loins for a successor. Thus an irresponsible teenager born of the tin pot is suddenly air brushed to become the next tin pot.
Thus African politics becomes dynastic, not because the tin pot plans it. No.
Dynastic politics is the legacy of a failed leader who wants to hang on forever. It is a knee jerk reaction to failed succession. Of course the coterie of hangers on and looters in the king s court yard favor dynastic succession.
It does not rock the boat and guarantees perpetual looting and the absence of inquiries or investigations that normally come with a new President. Thus for altered States like Zimbabwe, DRC, Sudan, Uganda to name a few dynastic politics is real.
When you think of it, Mandela s greatest legacy will have been to know the exit, to plan for it, and to play the end game on his terms. His burial at Qunu is a well planned move made many years ago, so too his decision to step down after one term.
Sadly not many see the wisdom of his righteous paths.
Zikomo.
Tendai Biti is the Secretary General of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
COMMENTS
What a relief Biti left while we still had some funds left.
He looted our pensions for a constitution that is far worse than the one we had.
He will go down in history as the worst Minister of Finance ever, obsessed as he is with Zanu as he isn’t intelligent to relies no one likes him that’s why he lost.
You’ve got to be joking. Name me out of the last 5 Fianance Ministers 0ne that did better. Biti managed to do something on limited funds.Apolitical, you are just the oposite of your name.
You write a lot about nothing.
One thing Biti achieved!!!!!????
He looted we all know that, but was that all he did,
THe currency changed to the US dollar but a kindergarten student could have acxhieved that, its the IQ to return to the Zim dollar he lacked.
But please you give sentences without any actual achievement.
The economy we are fighting to resuscitate today is down to him.
Its only he and the few dim supporters who think he did something but just cant put their finger on it. predictable.
Yau think he did a good job but cant think exactly what he did.- not a particularly bright point of view.
YOU ARE AN IDIOT APOLITICAL. THERE IS NO NEED FOR US TO GIVE YOU A CATALOGUE OF BITI’S ACHIEVEMENTS. MUSATANYOKO MWANA WE HURE WAKADYISWA NE ZANU.
Well I believe point made, not one of you can think of anything he achieved – you all say hes great because he is MDC and call others fools because you realise nothing was achieved.
Shava, its always the same this one did this that one did that, usual MDC rubbish – but when it comes to evidence well cant think of any so everyone else is stupid.
Biti made a great achievement getting a job and I must confess I never thought he would be able to con any one as he did. I thought he was too stupid to con anyone except Tsvangerai, even the US ambassador stated’hes not very bright’.
Even after emptying our pension funds and medical aids there are those who just don’t want to admit they were conned.
You seriously need to be educated, so I will do it Apolepsy, oops Apolitical (what a crock of S*#T! Go and read this unbiased summary and be better educated before you shoot off your ZANU-PF stupidity.
https://www.newsday.co.zw/2013/09/05/zimbabwes-economy-life-coalition-government
Ha, Ha, NEWSDAY is funded out of politi cal support. ie for those that don’t understand its not unbiased its a western propaganda tool. Shame some don’t research – any media that is funded by the west and doesnt openly admit to it is effectively a terrorist tool.
There are some fools like Parangeta who don’t believe they are funded and think god suddenly created these propaganda news papers.
I now see the problem you only want to believe what Biti and the MDC press tell you. lol
Why don’t you try and use what’s left of a brain and think of what he actually achieved. Ill even allow to to copy ifs its hard what MDC and he said, then, ill give you hard evidence to show it is a lie.
Does anyone else have this awful new layour for the ZimSit site. I have two narrow columns, do you?
all five, you should stop asking easy questions doctor little brain
rubbish
Nzou -interesting vocabulary you have – don’t strain yourself
I have been to Uganda many times. I think Uganda is better than Zimbabwe. They are building roads in Uganda. Mugabe’s crew camt even repair a damaged sewer pipe. Zimbabwe is hell on earth.
Well spoken Tendai, as I have predicted before look to the family for mugarbage successor
Nicolas Monserat Books. Richer than all his tribe and The tribe that lost its head.
Oh Africa pity you did not read and understand.
but how do we return to normality.
What many modern day political analysts do not understand is the fact that Mugabe also declared a policy of reconciliation to whites including hard core murderers of the selous scouts. But more complex was how to deal with 3 separate armies that fought against each other. And worse still there was cold war. Zipra Zapus army was supported and trained by the now defunct and defeated Soviet Union with its Warsaw Pact allies. Mugabe’s army was backed by China and the Rhodesiansreceived covert support from Nato Israel and apartheid South Africa. Zapu’s links with the ANC attracted attention of the West and they had to be dealt with. They had fought South African and Rhodesian forces together with UMkhonto weSizwe in Rhodesia. They had fought in Angola alongside MPLA’s Fapla forces against South Africa and Unita bandits. Now that they were not in power in Zimbabwe it was time not only time to neutralize them but to wipe them out in order to neutralize even the ANC since it had strong links with the Soviets and Cuba. Fightings between Zanu and Zapu since the 1960s at the formation of Zanu continued throught and after Independence Zanu being in power it was time to avenge and totally destroy Zapu. Gukurahundi must have been a simple military operation to get the armed bandits. It then came with all sorts of things tribalism, barbourous brutality against un armed women and children. South Arfrican apartheid leaders loved it and so did the West. To many people Mugabe is a murderer who ordered the brutal muder of over 20000 Ndebeles. Its was genocide. The West said nothing until the land seizures. Zapu was now in Zanupf neutralized if not finished of course. It was the West sponsored MDC who were now championing the Gukurahundi crasades and the West quickly picked it up. Despite the fact that survivors of the Gukurahundi a
sounds good and likec he knows what hestalking about until you realize he cant use google and rea;lly knows nothing.
Matabeleland was organized by phychological warfare in Pretoria by their consultant Ted Sutton Price.
The West Said nothing because Zimbabwe looked as though it was turning towards communism and there was the cold war.
Pretoria said the pressure on the new government would force change to capitalism which it did.
Sutton PRICE said when asked of the missionaries – there is always collateral damage in every operation it was a huge success, the former employees of mine used to disrupt the terrs during UDI worked well.
Unfortunately still today journalists blame the President and those involved but the journalists drink and laugh withy those responsible because they are so stupid and don’t know how to research and investigate.
THIS IS JUST ANCIENT HISTORY BAZUR WA KUMUZI AND HAS NO RELEVANCE TO MODERN TIMES. YOU A FOOL DISPLAYING ITS STUPIDITY. THE COUNTRY HAS SERIOUS ECONOMIC PROBLEMS AND A BUFOON LIKE YOU IS DREAMING ABOUT SOVIET UNION. SHUT YOUR BIG DIRTY GOB
What many modern day political analysts do not understand is the fact that Mugabe also declared a policy of reconciliation to whites including hard core murderers of the Selous scouts. But more complex was how to deal with 3 separate armies that fought against each other. And worse still there was cold war.
Zipra Zapus army was supported and trained by the now defunct and defeated Soviet Union with its Warsaw Pact allies. Mugabe’s army was backed by China and the Rhodesians received support from Nato, Israel and apartheid South Africa. Zapu’s links with the ANC attracted attention of the West and they had to be dealt with. They had fought South African and Rhodesian forces together with UMkhonto weSizwe in Rhodesia. They had fought in Angola alongside MPLA’s Fapla forces against South Africa and Unita bandits.
Now that they were not in power in Zimbabwe it was time not only to neutralize them but to wipe them out in order to neutralize even the ANC since it had strong links with the Soviets and Cuba.
Fightings and petty squables between Zanu and Zapu since the 1960s at the formation of Zanu continued throught and after Independence. Zanu being in power it was time to avenge and totally destroy Zapu too. Gukurahundi must have been a simple military operation to get rid of the armed bandits.But then it came with all sorts of things tribalism, barbourous brutality against un-armed women and children. South African apartheid leaders loved it and so did the West. To many people Mugabe is a murderer who ordered the brutal murder of over 20,000 Ndebeles. Its was genocide. The West saw everything at the time and they said nothing until the land seizures. Zapu was now in Zanupf neutralized if not finished of course. It was the West sponsored MDC who were now championing the Gukurahundi massacres and the West quickly picked it up. Despite the fact that survivors of the Gukurahundi are there, it is now Bennett who is the credible source of Mugabe’s brutality. Food for thought perhaps!
Museveni did not inherit the cold war conflict situation. He can go in peace. Zanupf leaders need immunity from prosecution for brutalities,kidnappings, torture and all the murders of innocent people. Some of these happened when they were not even aware of themselves. They later heard that unspeakable actions like cutting open pregnant women woumbs had been done in the name of fighting dissidents. Its a situation of having to swim across it or else drown. So they will die in power.
Mugabe will die in power, and the rest will be held accountable for their actions.
When you say the rest will be accountable include Tsvangerai,Biti and MDC who sought power and loot so badly they resorted to economic sabotage.
If we close power stations , businesses will close, people will lose their jobs, be unhappy, vote for MDC – This is the story, REGIME CHANGE AT ALL COSTS EVEN THE COST OF OUR CHILDREN’S FUTURE.
When you sit with no power or water think of those who suddenly got rich at our expense.
Demanded packages when they were kicked out of Government, I mean which politician in world history demanded a package when he lost an election – really is democratic change to looting.
Apolitical I would excused for assuming you are the Nutty Professor the way you spin.Nowhere do you point out 33 years of ZANU’S plunder of the economy.You froth at the mouth about MDC according to you ” those who suddenly got rich at our expense.” Zanu pf done that and continue to do so. If Biti and them did so it was a teardrop compared to your Masters.
The demons are amongst us.
iwe unenge unorwara – Apolitical, there is something wrong with you, ask yourself “whats wrong with me” and seek treatment before things get worse. THATS MY ADVICE, period.
Bazur, psychological warefare judged people here correctly even if you hit them on the head with truth, propaganda still fills their head.
Apolitical, you are a joke man. Anybody arguing with you is more of a fool than you. Talk about stupid.
Joe I think the idiot is the one who types without knowing one think Biti did and thinks he’s a hero because the propaganda told him.
Joe duuuuu, there must be one thing………..
Apolitical will be accountable at the snakepit at our new chikurubi. Ask william doktor
Thing is you don’t go to jail for telling the truth, its the liars and idiots who walk into lampposts because they cant understand what is in front of them that need accommodation at Chikarubi