Zimbabwe in Order to Design

¶ … Zimbabwe

In order to design a plan that would be able to deal with the devastating crisis in Zimbabwe, one first has to be cognizant of the extent and types of problems that have been created by the Mugabe regime. The crisis in Zimbabwe has, according to a plethora of reliable reports, accelerated in recent months and the country has reached a stage of almost complete collapse. To quote only one recent report, observers state that, '...Zimbabwe's nightmare will not end any time soon"(Dragging out the end, 2008). This also implies that the demise of Mugabe government is not necessarily an end to the multitude of problems that face the people of Zimbabwe.

At present there is still a political impasse, with Mugabe refusing to accommodate the opposition, even though the elections were won by the opposing MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) party headed by Morgan Tsvangirai. Years of neglect and oppression in the country has created a nightmare scenario, which consists of political, health and human rights problems that have accumulated and impacted on each other. The economic downturn in the country as a result of the ousting of the white farmers has resulted in the highest inflation rate in the world (World's Highest Inflation Rate = 100,000%). Today the currency of the country is worth practically nothing.

This is turn has led to a series of concomitant problems, foremost of which is the lack of food and healthy nutrition. This situation has also been exacerbated by the failure of the countries infrastructure and the recent cholera outbreak in the country. As one report states;"The rising death toll from cholera, brought on by collapsed sewerage systems infecting drinking water, has become the most visible sign of Zimbabwe's extraordinary implosion and the indifference of its leaders " (Don't neglect Aids crisis, warn health workers). This is even further exacerbated by the already serious HIV / AIDS problem in the country; as many as one in every five people in Zimbabwe are HIV-positive. Statistics from the United Nations indicate that more than four-hundred Zimbabweans die from AIDS each day. As the director of operations for Medecins Sans Frontieres, Meine Nicolai, recently stated, "..."This cholera is just one issue facing the people of Zimbabwe" (McGreal, 2008).

However, some critics go even further and use the term genocide when referring to the actions and policies of Robert Mugabe. As one commentator writes;

The conditions Mugabe rendered in Zimbabwe do not merely stem from idealistic economic and social policies gone awry. He has undertaken a campaign of violence and starvation against political opponents, the fallout of which is killing tens of thousands, if not more, every year (Kirchick, J, 2007).

A plan to reestablish a functioning country

Critics warn about the "monumental scale of the task" of returning Zimbabwe to a state of normalcy and social balance. (Blair, 2008) a recent article places the task at hand into some context.

In the past eight years, the economy has endured the devastation normally inflicted only by war or natural disaster. Today, the country's gross national product is about 40 per cent smaller than it was in 2000. To place this in context, America during the Depression lost 30 per cent of its GNP. (Blair, 2008)

As the above overview suggests, there is hardly any sector of the society that has not been devastated b the dictatorship of Robert Mugabe and his party. The first and most immediate aspect that any NGO would have to deal with is the rule of law in a democratic society and the reestablishment of human rights. Without an accepted and democratic government and unbiased security force, there is the possibility of the country sliding into anarchy and civil war, as has been the case in many other African countries. Only once this central aspect has been dealt with can any real work begin on the restoration of the other major factors and problems in the society.

It should also be noted that there are many NGO groups that have been involved in the country for some time. For example, one of the most well- known of these groups is the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum. This NGO forum was begun in 1998 and is concerned with human rights issues and assists victims of organized violence. Another well-known NGO that has been active in the country for some time is NANGO (http://www.nango.org.zw/).

A central focus of any plan would be to improve the necessary cooperation between the different NGOs in order to develop an integrated program towards the reestablishment of social health and welfare in the county. This situation has become even more imperative in the light of the fact that in 2007 the licenses for NGOs were canceled by the government, as they were "... accused of planning to oust veteran President Robert Mugabe" (Zimbabwe revokes all NGO licences).

One of the most fundamental and important issues that has to be addressed in any plan to improve the country, is to remedy the food shortage as well as the health crisis that has placed so many people at risk. This is the first task of any NGO group after the departure of Mugabe. As one recent report states, there is a crucial link between adequate nutrition, health and disease.

Many Zimbabweans, particularly in rural areas, eat one meal every two or three days because of the collapse of agriculture following the redistribution of white-owned farms and drought. Some are living off nothing more than berries and roots. With chronic malnutrition comes weakened immune systems and much greater vulnerability to Aids. Undernourishment also erodes the effectiveness of drugs that keep the disease at bay. (McGreal, 2008)

Many medical experts assert that cholera, which has reached alarming proportions in Zimbabwe, is in actual fact a relatively easy disease to control and eradicate - given the availability of clean water and the necessary basic infrastructure. This would therefore be a central feature of any NGO plan to improve the situation in the country after the departure of Mugabe.

The literature on this subject provides some suggestions as to the actions that need to be taken after the demise of Mubabe, and which provide insight with regard to possible NGO activity. A book entitled What Happens After Robert Mugabe by Geoff Hill (2005) suggests some remedies and solutions. "At the heart of his message is an appeal for the urgent need for the commencement of planning on the part of the international community for intervention once Mugabe leaves" (Mguni). This again reiterates the above point that coordination between NGO's and other bodies will be necessary to deal with a problem of this scale and complexity. This view is echoed in many other studies and reports; for example, a recent report, 'After Mugabe: Applying post-conflict recovery lessons to Zimbabwe', published in the Harvard University Africa Policy Journal (APJ), "... underscores the need for the international community to 'start preliminary planning now for responses to a transition in Zimbabwe', given the 'war-like trauma experienced by the country and acute conditions today'." (ZIMBABWE: After Mugabe - analysts say donor aid must flow)

Any plan to improve the situation must also take into account the aspect of time and speed. Many aid agencies emphasize that there is only a small window of opportunity available. Quick implementation of plans to deal with the health and food crisis is imperative in order to reduce the degree of suffering and loss of life in the county. Therefore an NGO plan would incorporate integration between the various bodies prior to implementation of food and health schemes.

Analysis and conclusion

In the final analysis all the experts agree that the period of transition to a functioning and stable Zimbabwe will not be an easy process.