How to React to Zim's Ongoing Negotiations

It is easy to assert that the political negotiations in Zimbabwe have reached crunch time. But it might be more accurate to say that the negotiations that have been fraught from the outset are facing their last best chance of peaceful resolution. This assumes that both parties want peaceful resolution, or resolution at all, despite the fact that such assumptions would fly in the face of all that Robert Mugabe has done and said for the lasr decade in general and with regard to these negotiations, for the last year and a half.

The question for the outside world has continued to be what to do to prod Mugabe along, how to cajole and flatter the old despot when necessary, how to condemn and flagellate his regime the rest of the time, and how to recognize the sufferings of Mugabe’s victims in their millions. President Obama weighed in recently by honoring Women of Zimbabwe Arise, an organization that has steadfastly and bravely resisted Mugabe at considerable risk.

South African President Jacob Zuma, meanwhile, believes in providing encouragement for the Zim negotiations by asking for Zim’s reinstatement into the Commonwealth. I do not deny Zuma’s motives. He is not burdened by his predecessor Thabo Mbeki’s dithering nor is Zuma known as being especially sympathetic toward Mugabe. Nonetheless I think Zuma’s desire is premature. Mugabe has done little but delay and equivocate in a situation in which delay and equivocation serve Mugabe well. It is one thing to call for renewed aid to Zimbabwe in hopes of luring foreign investment and development support that the population desperately needs, and that can be withdrawn if necessary. Readmission to the Commonwealth should go to Zimbabwe only at the completion of this process, not now, when so much is left to be done and when Mugabe can reverse the few small gains with just a call to the men with guns.