subject: President Barack Obama to visit Zimbabwe? [print this page] President Barack Obama to visit Zimbabwe?
Can President Barack Obama visit Zimbabwe before his term of office ends? What are the chances that he will visit Zimbabwe? A dream visit to Zimbabwe by President Obama is realistic. I repeat it is realistic. But does Zimbabwe wants him to visit anywhere? Beyond doubt the administration in Zimbabwe is desperate for such moon landing visits. The Zimbabwe administration and media have been bragging when musicians visit, then what about when a star horizon like Obama lands on their doors. The country will burst with joy. The entire struggle in Zimbabwe can surprisingly be ended by an ordinary landing of President Obama into Zimbabwe. Obama will not bring manna from heaven. In fact he is the manna himself. Imagine the doors that he will open for American investors, global investors, tourism, and not to mention the all important aspects of democracy, human rights, media, and critically his symbolism of hope. In Zimbabwe, I am truly sure that everyone likes Obama`s message of hope. Those who do not unclench their fists might frown on the subject of democracy. Remember it was freedom, respect and democracy that brought President Obama to power. In the initial phases of the primary elections I was supporting Hilary Clinton because I had followed her for so long since the Bill Clinton administration. The prospects of having the first female President in the history of the USA was something I was longing for. I am a fun of America. I like the freedom ideals, the patriotism they have, the unity, the emphasis on working hard and having a good life. But I am also a fun of the Scandinavian welfare democracy with its policies on health, education and participatory democracy. And more importantly I am a fun of a reformed Africa. All these things that the majority of Zimbabweans fancy for can just happen in a millisecond if Obama visits Zimbabwe.
What will make Obama not to come to Zimbabwe? The current political dispensation in Zimbabwe is a contrast to the American ideals on universal freedom and the right to chose. This might pose a challenge for Obama in making such a decision to visit Zimbabwe. However it is exactly the fact that Zimbabwe needs an American model, that President Obama must visit Zimbabwe. Obama can assure those who want to hold on to power that America will support a forgiveness for them if they make history by handing over power to younger democratically chosen leaders like Obama. It is a public and political guarantee from someone like Obama that some fearful politicians in Zimbabwe can feel safer and experiment with the right thing. The right thing is to allow democracy and to allow people to choose their own leaders. Of course leaders who threaten national interests when they come to office can simply be outvoted by the people in a next election or can be impeached. If the current generation of leadership vanishes, such democratic rights to out vote or impeach a leader can be a reality. In South Africa it almost happened.
A visit to Zimbabwe will be more historical to Obama and will a score a second. His election to the helm of US politics was a first and it will remain so. So let's get Obama to visit Zimbabwe. If he does not visit now, then when Zimbabwe swears in the next president after an internationally supervised election, Obama will be in Zimbabwe. If Obama is elected for the second term in office, then the odds are even higher that he will visit Zimbabwe during his time in office. Coming to Zimbabwe when he is still in office is what people are longing for. It is known that he has not visited Kenya yet. But Kenya is Kenya and Zimbabwe is Zimbabwe. Keep the fingers crossed, Obama might come to Zimbabwe and revive the hopes of its people. I am not the only one in favor of an Obama visit. The rulers in Zimbabwe did not invite him because they think he will not accept the visit. Even Norway issued Obama with a peace prize in a rush to force him to visit Norway whilst he is still a president. Zimbabwe must be innovative to rush and use the Obamania to reenter the international family of nations. Such is the Obama power. Do you think Obama will visit Zimbabwe then?
