Devon Dick

Once again Zimbabwe is in a crisis and needs help. In spite of the pronouncement of Thabo Mbeki, South Africa president, that there is no crisis in Zimbabwe, there is a crisis and there has been a crisis for a while. So clear is the crisis that President Mbeki's own ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC) disagreed with Mbeki and claimed there was a crisis.

There is an electoral crisis. The opposition party in Zimbabwe, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) won the parliamentary elections.

Recount wanted

However, the Electoral Commission, after three weeks, has not declared the result of the presidential election. However, the ruling party, aided by the Electoral Commission wants to have a recount and, possibly, a run-off. However, President Robert Mugabe is putting the horse before the cart. There should not be a recount until the count is declared. The results need to be known and then there can be recounts, challenges and a possible re-run.

I heard a South African diplomat at the United Nations (UN) trying to defend what is happening in Zimbabwe by likening it to what happened in Florida, USA in the 2000 presidential election between George Bush and Al Gore. However, that is an unfair analogy because in that election the results were declared and then there was a challenge leading to a recount. The international community, including Jamaica, should support the UN Secretary General and call for the immediate release of the results of the Zimbabwean presidential race.

Strange ruling

There is also a judicial crisis. The Supreme Court made a strange ruling, to say the least, when it did not force the Electoral Commission to release the results immediately. One cannot help but feel that the judiciay is an arm of the ruling party.

There is a serious economic crisis in Zimbabwe. When I visited Zimbabwe about four years ago, as a guest of the Zimbabwe International Book Fair (ZIBF), I was appalled that they had an inflation rate of 600 per cent. I realised, then, that Zimbabwe was in a deep economic hole. Any country with an inflation rate above nine per cent annually is in trouble. By May 2007, the official annualised inflation rate was 4,500 per cent. By November it was 26,000 and in February of this year, it was 66,212 per cent. These are official statistics!

As Jamaicans know, from experience, a high inflation is one of the worst forms of taxation. It stifles economic growth and erodes the purchasing power and lifestyle of the citizens. Zimbabwe was in an economic free fall and President Mugabe was, clearly, not managing the country and even for that reason he should not have offered himself for re-election.

The country has a humanitarian crisis. Last December, while in England, I watched a documentary about the plight of Zimbabweans who tried to smuggle themselves into South Africa. People are suffering in Zimbabwe.

Say a prayer

But do not cry for Mugabe; instead say a prayer for Zimbabwe. Unbelievably, the opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai is offering Mugabe an amnesty. Mugabe was a great freedom fighter against the oppressive British regime.

However, the oppressed became oppressive, having learnt well from the former oppressors. However, if we continue to allow oppressive tyrants off the hook then poor citizens will continue to suffer. Let international tribunals make ruling on the Mugabes, Bothas, Pinochets, Blairs and Bushes of this world.

The electoral, the economic, the judicial and humanitarian crises are real. Jamaica and the world needs to confront this present and immediate danger and say a prayer for Zimbabwe. These problems require supernatural and superhuman effort to save Zimbabwe.