This archive report was first published on 13 August 2020.
On June 27, 2020, I wrote in The East African that change of regimes in Africa does not equate to political and economic reform. Corruption and rights violations remain the same, if not worse, with poverty and underdevelopment being the constant thread throughout the continent.
The arrest of journalist Hopewell Chinono in Zimbabwe on July 20, 2020, is a stark reminder of this reality. Chinono's expose on corruption in the government of Emmerson Mnangagwa, particularly in coronavirus-related contracts, highlights the need for accountability.
Mnangagwa's regime has shown why he was nicknamed 'The Crocodile.' Despite promising reforms, his government has continued to perpetuate corruption and human rights violations.
Over 100 African writers have called on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU) to suspend Zimbabwe over its brutal treatment of political activists and human rights defenders. This act of engagement by African intellectuals is significant, as it brings global attention to the grim reality faced by millions of Africans.
It is a tragic cynicism that the AU and SADC are quick to condemn the brutalisation of African-Americans in the US but remain silent when far greater brutality is meted out on Africans by their governments.
The statement by African writers marks a beginning of activism that seemed to die after the introduction of multiparty politics in the early 1990s. We have realised that multiparty politics, like independence from colonialism in the 60s, offered illusory freedom from poverty and repression.
