Thabo Mbeki the former former President of South Africa was in Zimbabwe meeting party leaders, posing for pictures and looking important. Yes, the images of Mbeki next to Chamisa went viral on social media leading to many people speculating that there is another GNU on the cards. I don’t know where these people got the idea from. I mean, just because Mbeki brokered a GNU deal in 2009 does not mean he can do the same 10 years later. Thabo Mbeki in 2019 has no power. In South Africa he couldn’t get 5 minutes on SABC because no one serious would want to listen to what he has to say. He is irrelevant. But typical of narcissistic former presidents whose kryptonite is obscurity, Mbeki has found a stalking horse which he hope we’ll help him to become relevant again – enter the Zimbabwean political crisis.
Let it be known that as far as the substantive issues affecting Zimbabwe, Mbeki has no influence. He cannot arm twist Zanu or the MDC to do anything because nothing he says is enforceable. Well, he could fool desperadoes like Madhuku and the other political cuckolds in the POLAD but that lot are even bigger donkeys, asses for that matter.
Because of his desperation for relevance, Mbeki is probably available to the highest bidder, like a stripper in strip club, and in Zimbabwe’s case it would be Zanu throwing the ‘ones’ at his gyrating self. The way I see it, he was in Zimbabwe at the behest of Zanu to do their bidding. Whether it’s facilitating a facade of legitimacy in the eyes of the west or trying to hood wink the MDC into calling for the lifting of ‘sanctions’ on the regime, Mbeki will be batting for Zanu. Therefore, the MDC should be careful not to entertain this chancer.
Here is an analogy that captures Mbeki’s role in Zimbabwean politics in 2019.
Imagine a group of 8 people are trying to cross the crocodile infested Nile River. They obviously need a massive boat but there is none in sight. They are desperate. But lo, a man comes running, he says he has just the thing they need to cross the river safely. He offers them a wheelbarrow. In this scenario, the 8 people represent ordinary Zimbabweans, the crocodiles Zanu (obviously) and the man with the wheelbarrow is Thabo Mbeki.