Film Review: Robert Mugabe....What happened?
Jerry Lockspeiser reviews a new documentary about the Zimbabwean tyrant.
26 Feb 2012, 11:56
Robert Mugabe
‘Tis the season for excellent political biographies on screen. The BBC’s Putin, Russia and the West and the American PBS channel account of Bill Clinton, broadcast in the UK on Sky, are both 4 part documentaries of the highest quality and a great way to understand history.
Putin is undemocratic and despotic, but he is trumped by Mugabe. Now celebrating his 88th birthday and his 32nd year in power, the documentary ‘Robert Mugabe....What Happened?’ unravels this hapless story from the beginning through interviews and both professional and amateur film footage.
Mugabe came from a very poor background even by the African standards of the time. His father abandoned the family, his two elder brothers died, and he was brought up in a strict catholic environment by his mother. A loner who studied hard, he qualified as a teacher before collecting a dazzling array of degrees. He met future African nationalist leaders before working in Ghana as a teacher where he was influenced by Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s Prime Minister after Independence. After marrying a Ghanian he returned to Rhodesia and became active in the nationalist movement. Arrested in 1964 he spent the next 11 years in gaol. When his young son died Prime Minister Ian Smith personally refused to let him out to attend the funeral.
In 1979 Ian Smith’s white minority were forced to accept change at the Lancaster House Agreement. Mugabe led the majority Shona supported ZANU party to triumph in the 1980 elections, winning the battle over his nationalist rival Joshua Nkomo and the ZAPU party backed by the Ndebele people. He seemed to many a man of charisma, ability and vision. During the next decade investment was made in the rural economy, health and education. The peasant economy boomed, the health system was the envy of the rest of the continent, literacy improved to 70%, infant mortality dropped and life expectancy rose.
None of this lasted. In parallel with successful development during the 1980’s a campaign of death and destruction was meted out against the Ndebele people in Matabeleland. 20,000 people were killed. Mugabe denied anything was happening. The descent into the nightmare that the people of Zimbabwe have been living for more than two decades was underway. As the economy failed and Mugabe lost confidence in winning elections fairly he turned to violence, corruption and repression.
This is a fascinating tale of how an educated, urbane, personally charming and often brilliant man threw away the opportunity to lead a beautiful country with enormous potential to a new prosperity. He might have gone down in history as one of the continent’s great leaders. The reality is the opposite.
Producer Mike Auret and Director Simon Bright are progressive white Zimbabweans who were both involved in opposition activity at home before having to leave in the early 2000’s. In the Q and A session after the showing at The Ritzy in Brixton, Mike Auret was asked who still supports Mugabe and why? He replied that many ordinary Zimbabweans have no information other than the official media. Mugabe is referred to in almost North Korean grandiosity and the population are fed a diet of propaganda which blames enemies for problems. Many of the young know nothing else. Additionally, what resources the country has are used as patronage to buy support of key sections of business, the military and the police. Some top military officials need to keep Mugabe in power because they are guilty of crimes against humanity and if he goes they will end up in the Hague. Amongst the white farmers, the progressive ones who have tried to build non and anti-racist relationships and who oppose Mugabe’s ethos have suffered. The white old guard, racist and rich, have cut a deal with Mugabe that they will leave him alone to run the country if he leaves them with their land and interests.
An instructive and disturbing film, it is ‘What Happened?’ in the sense of unrolling the events with precision, method and insight. It is not ‘What happened?’ in the sense of explaining the causes and reasons why. And who knows what happens after Mugabe. Elsewhere in the world where decades of despotism have been overthrown the institutions of civil society to replace it do not exist. How the void is filled will determine their future.
Showing in London at Hackney Picturehouse and The Ritzy in Brixton until March 1st
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A recent account from a recent visitor to Zimbabwe says that the seeds of 'what happens next' is already being sown with the 'coalition' government improving lives. It will be slow but what lasting change is not - 100+ year old democracies still struggle with 'real' democracy. If Zimbabweans are inspired by what is possible, to build on the humble foundations and the wealth of their environment, great things will still come from there.
03/04/2012 12:15