Zimbabweans Plan for A Post Mugabe in Hungary

By ANH

One day workshop was held in June at the AHU’s Budapest office where Zimbabwean delegate lobbied powerfully on the anti-Mugabe government which appears to have held the Southern African country to ransom since assuming dictatorial power on April 18 1980 – more than three decades ago.

The workshop, an initiative of ZEN (Zimbabwe Europe Network) in conjunction with AHU (African Hungarian Union), provided a platform to map out strategic implementation that will force the Zimbabwean three major political parties to respect and abide by the GPA (Global Political Agreement) in which they signed on February 11 this year. 

The GPA which was supervised by the African Union (AU) and the South African Development Community (SADC) supposed to be the guidance for effective governance in a country analysts have been describing as characterized by hyper-inflation and poverty torn. Meanwhile local and international civil and human rights organizations have observed with great concern that there has not been “much progress in realizing most of the key points that are stated in the Global Political Agreement”.

Some aspects of violations as presented by ZEN include but not limited to economic development, elections, humanitarian and food assistance, national healing, cohesion and national unity; media rights and freedom, rule of law, respect for the constitution and other laws.

“Out of the seven thousand agreement violated by politicians, Mugabe led ZANU party has committed six thousand two hundred,” said Mr. McDonald Lewanika, National Coordinator of Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition. He added that adhering to the GPA is the ultimate solution for Zimbabwe to rescue itself from decades of economic and political turmoil that has rendered the country almost useless.

Mr. Machinda Marongwe, Advocacy Manager of National Alliance for Non-Governmental Organizations (NANGO), described the situation in Zimbabwe as dangerous because of the restrictive laws which seems to cage everyone. “As long as you are perceived as a threat, you can easily offend the power that be which has led most of us into jail several times,” he said, adding that fear of losing the immunity is obviously the main reason certain people stick to power unnecessarily in Zimbabwe.   

The workshop which was attended by some Hungarian NGO’s highlighted ways for Zimbabwe to overcome its dwindling problems and some steps in which they can assist the people. The African Hungarian Union representative, Mr. Raymond Irambo, said that it was highly important to know the strategic steps to take in its organization’s bid to establish itself in Zimbabwe so that the efforts to assist will be smooth.

In its own contribution, Mr. Frank Ekuidoko of Ebony Organization, suggested that Zimbabweans should rise up against Mugabe’s dictatorship as only Zimbabweans can actually liberate themselves from oppression. Although Ekuidoko like the idea of seeking foreign support, he maintained that the bulk of fighting solely rests on the people of Zimbabwe.  

The three-man-one woman delegate chose Budapest because of the believe that Hungary – which assumes the EU presidency in January next year – can lend a helping hand in the struggle to liberate the people of Zimbabwe who are dying as a result of government’s poor initiative.

The delegation was hoping to learn and import ideas from Hungary on transitional justice and national healing, given the fact that Hungary itself has in the recent past managed a successful transition.