The Times Editorial: It's now or never for Zimbabwe as she prepares to hold national elections on Wednesday. Zimbabwe has been under a political cloud for years and efforts by the African Union and South Africa to return it to normality will work only if its citizens are active participants.
Irrespective of whether these elections are successful, the country deserves better than what is on the table.
President Robert Mugabe, whose leadership had never been tested until the formation of the Movement for Democratic Change, should admit that all is not well with his country.
Whether he wins or loses on Wednesday, Zimbabwe will never be the same again.
Zimbabweans who have experienced life elsewhere have learned that they deserve a better leadership. There are many of them spread across the world in search of a better tomorrow.
South Africa and the world should help Zimbabweans to determine their destiny.
The MDC and other opposition voices should realise that their chances of long-term success depend on how they manage poll success or defeat this week.
The problem with Zimbabwe is not Mugabe but its people.
With many seeking a better life abroad instead of working at home for the change they want, we are likely to have a Zimbabwean problem for years to come.
It is said that the day the citizenry is willing to suffer for a better tomorrow is the day their fortunes will turn for the better. Have Zimbabweans reached that stage? Are they willing to roll up their sleeves to shape their tomorrow?
South Africa and other countries that have fought oppression and mismanagement by a few went through a painful process to achieve their desired outcome. Zimbabweans should be prepared to do the same.
They should hold whoever wins these elections stringently to account and settle for nothing less than a better tomorrow.
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