Turbulent Weekend

This weekend I went out for a drink, to be more precise several drinks with some friends. We decided to have a bite to eat first at the local pizza chain Roman’s. Well, their pizza is decent, but they could use a lesson from Wal-mart’s PR person. If you look at the little plastic folder in which they put the check you can read something along these lines: “PLEASE TIP OUR WAITERS WELL, we pay them very poorly” (I would have to check for exact wording). Who knows, that might be a tactic worth exploring.
On another note, during this exciting weekend I tried to rent a movie, a very novel experience it turned out to be. At the biggest video store in Africa, you are greeted by a rather creepy Afrikaner (first creepy Afrikaner encounter) who reluctantly invites you to put your finger on the finger print reader (first raised eyebrows). Then, he realizes that you are not a member and explains the formalities of this very exclusive club: One photo ID, one proof of address and two referrals by people you know (second raised eyebrows). Apparently loaning videos is quite a risky business around here. Sulking over this great disappointment I went home and flopped on the couch resigned to watch the TV feature of the night.
Pretty dull weekend you are thinking, but I have something to perk your attention (or definitively make you click on the red box with an X). Hardly a week after Mugabe’s humiliating power sharing deal, it is the turn of one of the deal’s superstars to be humiliated. Thabo Mbeki was forced to resign from the position of President of the Republic of South Africa. There are many points of views, some think humiliation, some say cowardice, others lament as he announced with dignity his decision. I walked by the camera crews preparing the news in front of the Union Buildings, how cool is that?
Undeniably, Mbeki has a mixed record. South Africa has experienced the longest uninterrupted economic growth in its history; AIDS has spread without much being done to prevent it; the black population is still facing socio-economic barriers, etc. It can also be said that if Mbeki so readily resigned after being pressured by the party he has been a member of for 52 years, that he must be guilty of something and he saw the opportunity to exit with the least damage to his reputation. Mbeki really is a mystery, at the same time an incredible intellectual and someone who resisted the reality of the HIV/AIDS pandemic for years. For people interested in the recent history of South Africa and Mbeki’s role, I recommend Gumede’s “Thabo Mbeki and the battle for the soul of the ANC.” In any case, his resignation speech was smooth and grandiloquent, as expected.
His speech was smooth, but the transition that is going to follow might not be so. Many see the resignation has untimely, especially with respect to Zimbabwe. An article from Financial Times points out that even if Mbeki retains his position as mediator, his leverage will be compromised by his lack of legitimate power; this, at a time when Mugabe is once again succumbing to pressure from his party’s leaders. It is what triggered the downfall of the ZANU-PF and Zimbabwe in the mid 1980 and it is most likely what will keep the country down and divided presently. One only needs to compare the speeches of Mugabe and Mbeki to see the vast gap in their ideas of democracy and statesmanship. Mugabe is a tired pit bull with a horde of supporting ones, who once they bite, are unlikely to let go. Mbeki’s choice is respectable, he decided to set an example by not protesting the constitutional choices of his party, but maybe it was justified to be a little more pit bullish. The precarious stability of Zimbabwe is at stake as well as South Africa’s.
Furthermore, we must keep in mind what comes next; it hasn’t changed with Mbeki’s departure. The name is still Zuma. This bigger-than-life man is charismatic, he is also a populist. Populist politicians scare me and I’m not the only one scared by Zuma. Yes, there is a need for someone who is closer to the South Africans; there is also a need for someone with a very good understanding of the complex situation South Africa is in. I don’t know enough about Zuma to say it cannot be good for South Africa, but there is enough ground for concern.