In the last
days of President Robert Mugabe the political scene painted British Prime
Minister Tony Blair as a pantomime villain. The late President Mugabe railed
against Blair at political rallies, in the early years of this century, calling
him “B-Liar” and saying famously at the Earth Summit in Johannesburg in 2002:
“You can keep your England, I shall keep my Zimbabwe.” Blair is unfazed by the
years of criticism, in his decade in power at Westminster, and says he is happy
to speak to Mugabe’s successor President Emerson Mnangagwa.
More than a
decade on Blair – who now runs an institute promoting good governance in Africa
– was asked how acrimonious his not very special relationship with Zimbabwe
was, in an exclusive interview with CNBC Africa from London.
“I think
acrimonious was probably and understatement!” smiled Blair more than a decade
on.
“I am happy to
speak to Mnangagwa, but these things are best done in a private way. I was
actually thinking about Zimbabwe the other day. I think, at certain points,
there were misunderstandings, not genuine disagreements. If Zimbabwe were to
get its act together it would be an exciting place to be.”
Blair went
further to call for reform in Zimbabwe and was effusive in his praise of the
country were the politicians once scorned him.
“Zimbabwe I
hope the new leadership there will take the necessary measure and reforms
because Zimbabwe is a very wealthy country and I meet Zimbabweans around the
world and they are a very talented people. I want the government to succeed; it
really is what has to be done. I do think it is what needs to happened there
not just opening up political space, but also economic reforms to take the
country to a boom. If the government there showed real commitment or reform, it
would help in the future because we need Zimbabwe back as a player in the
continent,” says Blair.
The former
British Prime Minister’s encouraging words contrast the bitterness that the
late President Mugabe felt for Blair in return. The ruling ZANU pf party called
its 2005 election campaign the “Anti-Blair Vote.”
At the launch
of that election campaign, in December 2004, Mugabe set the tone with the
words: “Regime change, Mr Blair? Who are you? Who are you to talk of regime
change in Zimbabwe? One of us, by what connection sir, do you hear me?
Ancestral connection? And who were these ancestors, can we know? No, Zimbabwe
is for Zimbabweans. And only Zimbabweans can determine who shall rule them and
who shall not. Whether there is a situation here of political order, of
lawlessness, violation of the rule of law, violation of human rights, lack of
democracy, our neighbours would know that better than the British government…
It is our land, ancestral land, our sacred land, never an extension of
Britain.” CNBCAFRICA.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment