Zim’s image and reputation: A historical perspective

21 Apr, 2023 - 00:04 0 Views
Zim’s image and reputation: A historical perspective Dr Musekiwa Clinton Tapera

eBusiness Weekly

Dr Msekiwa Clinton Tapera

Zimbabwe was the Jewel of Africa with the attainment of Independence in 1980 as it was a country richly endowed in raw materials and in the form of minerals, flora and fauna productive farm land.

The counry grew enough food to feed its people and export the rest as agriculture is the backbone of the economy. Zimbabwe from this perspective was a solid brand on its own and that’s why it was known as the Jewel of Africa in the 1980s.

As a result, the period between 1980 and year 2005 saw Zimbabwe’s brand of grow in leaps and bounds.
Policy Reconciliation and Brand Precision

To foster nation building, peace and unity, the then Prime Minister, Robert Gabriel Mugabe pronounced the policy of reconciliation with former white colonizers as a strategy to rebuild the country after years of the protracted war of independence. Mugabe on the eve of Zimbabwe’s Independence proclaimed that “an evil remains an evil whether practiced by white against black or black against white.”

This demonstrated his commitment to the policy of reconciliation which earned him respect from across the globe. He became the darling of the West. De Waal described Mugabe’s approach as “a miracle and a demonstration of humanity so far rarely equaled in our world.”

In his inaugural speech and promoting the policy of reconciliation, Mugabe reached out to the white community and proclaimed, “If yesterday, I fought you as an enemy, today you have become a friend and ally with the same national interest, loyalty, rights and duties as myself. If yesterday you hated me, today you cannot avoid the love that binds you to me and me to you. The wrong of the past must now stand foreign and forgotten.”

These pronouncements and proclamations put Zimbabwe on the international map as a progressive, forward looking and peaceful state. The state through these messages to the world planted the seed for a solid brand promise full of hope and glamour into the future.

Britain and the international community widely accepted and recognized the policy of reconciliation and Mugabe, who was previously referred to as a Marxist terrorist became a hero globally. Reconciliation created stability, peace and continuity in the new era and enabled a smooth transition from white minority rule to black majority rule.

Yes, there were some who argued that reconciliation was elitist and a top-down policy which emphasized black-white reconciliation while ignoring black to black reconciliation. Also, while the policy was a forward looking, socio-economic and political policy, it did not consult widely.

The citizens of Zimbabwe had been victims of the colonization and its ruthlessness Huyse argues that it was a project conceived and developed at the level of the elite with no society-wide debate or involvement. These arguments did not diminish the impact of the pronouncement of reconciliation at international level.

The spirit, intention and values in the statements put Zimbabwe on a progressive trajectory from an image, reputation and branding perspective.

International Image and Perception 1980-1990’s

Immediately after independence, Zimbabwe became a global player by participating in hosting regional and international conferences. The government hosted an international conference on reconciliation and development named ZIMCORD in March 1981.

Out of this, the US and Western government poured in funding to support post war efforts, land redistribution and capacitation and development of skilled labour. In 1982, the OAU chose Zimbabwe to occupy one of non-permanent seats in the UN Security Council. Zimbabwe was being launched on the world stage as an international brand needing international exposure.

All this was due to its rising international status. Zimbabwe also hosted the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). Summit meeting in 1986, with Mugabe becoming chairman of the organization leading to enhanced international visibility, credibility and image of Zimbabwe.

In October 1991, Zimbabwe hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) where Mugabe was also elected chairperson of that organization. The length and breadth of the membership of NA, OAU, CHOGM and the responsibility that the new Zimbabwe took up were an effective launch pad for an emerging nation brand that had all the ingredients of success on the global stage.

Such events enhanced the country’s international visibility thus enhancing its potential to brand itself as a strong international brand. The promising nation brand had its image receiving a major dent with the onset of the civil unrest of 1982-1987.

The Land Question: Impact on Zimbabwe’s Image, Economy and Politics

The main reason for Zimbabweans to wage the First Chimurenga (1893-96) and Second Chimurenga (1963-1980) was the dispossession of the land by white settlers from the black majority. Land reform had been a hot and contentious issue for over a last century.

Zimbabwe made attempts to redress the unsolved land question through the resettlement programme with the main objective of government being to acquire 8 million hectares of land to resettle 162 000 landless households.

The Lancaster House Conference agreement constrained land redistribution through its restrictions and limitations. It was also constrained by the inflated prices of the land imposed by the white colonizers who also were parceling the worst land for the resettlement programme.

The revolutionary turning point and its impact on Brand Zimbabwe

The 1990s was the turning point and watershed of Zimbabwe’s history punctuated by numerous emotionally charged incidences. Violent reactions by the landless blacks led by the war veterans were inevitable given the emotive nature of the land issue.

Huyse intimated that the relations between the government and the ruling ZANU PF on one hand and the white community on the other “have sunk to the lowest point since the coming of independence”.

To many, including some white settlers, land reform was necessary and inevitable given its centrality to the human existence of the black majority. The programme of fast track land redistribution of 1998 — 2003 plunged the country into political and economic turmoil.

The constitution was amended to allow uncompensated seizure of farms despite worldwide condemnation. The human rights record plummeted. The Land Question received widespread international media attention thus denting Zimbabwe’s reputation and image resulting in undermining its brand status.

Land reform as a massive and emotional issue would require more space than this article can manage. The objective here is to give a historical perspective and highlight the twists and turns of the nation branding of Zimbabwe.

Consequences of the Fast —Track Land Redistribution and its impact of International Credibility
The relations between Zimbabwe and UK got frostier with the emergence of the new Labour government in UK in 1987. The UK government denied responsibility for what Britain had perpetrated on Zimbabwe during colonial Rhodesia.

Zimbabwe government got a concrete justification to unleash the black majority especially the war veterans to lead the fast track land reform without compensation to white farmers.

Consequences of the Fast — Track Land Redistribution

The fast track land redistribution of 1998 — 2003 plunged the country into political and economic turmoil with an adverse impact on the international image of Zimbabwe. The Impact was predictable given the centrality of the land to the existence of the black majority.

Land question has been an emotive issue since the 1890s and became a highly charged issue in the Second Chimurenga and rightly so, occupied much of the Lancaster House deliberation.

It was indeed, a historical issue of unprecedented proportions in Africa and a revolution that was emulated by the African people and black people across the world, Zimbabwe became a Pariah state, a country worth ostracising, a country in the category of Cuba, Iraq, Libya and some such states that needed to be punished simply for reclaiming their most prized possession the Land.

Yes, by virtue of the deep emotional attachment to this economic base of the African people associated violence and adverse human rights issues, the amendment of the constitution and widespread international media coverage. Zimbabwe’s international image and reputation was heavily dented, thus undermining the capacity to brand it as a global player.

Britain and almost the entire Western world put punitive measures that had to haunt Zimbabwe to today Zimbabwe had to endure scars of pain for reclaiming the Land, an asset that was sacrosanct to the existence and survival of the African people.

Yet to those who participated in the Liberation struggle, both war veterans and the rural population, the land reform was a major democratic revolution with writers such as Cousins arguing that, “This stereotype of Zimbabwe’s Land Reform is profoundly unhelpful. It is not based on empirical evidence of its impact, or an understanding of underlying complexities and trends over time.”

Seeing land reform as a total failure clouds understanding of complex new realities that farmers, government, political parties and other stakeholders are grappling with in trying to chart a way forward.

Zimbabwe’s Crisis and International Response

• The US government signed the Zimbabwe Democrag and Economic Recovery Act (ZIDERA) a law prohibiting US support for both debt relief and any assistance from international institutions until the conditions are certified to have charged in relation to the rule of law, free and fair elections and what they called transparent land reform.

The IMF and WB (World Bank) the principal providers of vital balance of payments support to nations including Zimbabwe, withdrew their support leading to further crisis for Zimbabwe, International Monetary Fund officially closed its Zimbabwe Office in October 2004 having declared Zimbabwe “ineligible to use the general resources of the IMF.

The Commonwealth suspended Zimbabwe in 2002 from its membership and Zimbabwe withdrew from the Commonwealth in 2003 having unsuccessful tried to overturn the suspension.

Airlines withdrew in numbers from servicing the Zimbabwean route. Zimbabwe was referred to as a “Sinking Titanic.”

Zimbabwe experienced hyper – inflation which grew galloping inflation in 2007 — 2008. There was massive brain drain with Zimbabwe running away from harsh economic conditions and a host of other problems.

These rapid developments adversely affected the international credibility, image of the country thus enormously denting the Brand Zimbabwe. What Zimbabwean people took to be dear to their hearts, brought untold anguish and suffering of massive proportions.

In conclusion the history of nation branding of Zimbabwe is marked by turbulent times from both from a political and socio-economic perspective. To the Western World, the events of 1998 — 2005 are unforgivable.

To Zimbabweans, the Land Reform is irreversible because of the deep seated attachment to the important resource. Because of these hard and uncompromising positions, the nation brand initiative needs the current engagement and reengagement approach but with a massive investment in order to ride on the stereotype of Zimbabwe that already exist.

Zimbabwe’s rebranding initiative requires support for Zimbabwe to reclaim its space on the global arena. It is not an exercise in futility but one which needs a sober, futuristic and progressive approach if Brand Zimbabwe is to be the “Renewed Jewel of Africa.”

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