ABC
24 June 2010
It took extraordinary circumstances – and a rare diplomat – to arrange John Howard’s surprising visit to strife-torn Zimbabwe.
By travelling there, Howard might just have demonstrated a grasp of cricketing realpolitik that will set him on the path towards a fruitful term as International Cricket Council president.
Given his lengthy and unwavering history of opposition to the Robert Mugabe regime, Howard cannot have been expected to venture readily to Harare.
But in order to serve effectively as the head of the game’s global administration arm, Howard will need to make plenty of trips like this.
His hastily arranged visit to speak with Mugabe backers Peter Chingoka (Zimbabwe cricket president) and Ozias Bvute (chief executive) will go a long way towards fostering a workable relationship between Howard and the African nation.
Howard and Cricket Australia chairman Jack Clarke flew to Zimbabwe at the suggestion of Zimbabwe’s sport minister David Coltart, a senior figure in the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) the longtime opponents of Mugabe’s ZANU-PF and now partners in a precarious joint government.
Coltart visited New Zealand and Australia last week to meet with officials in cricket and government, and was fluent in explaining the need for engagement with Zimbabwe, particularly in areas to have shown improvement since the MDC were given a foothold.
“The problem is there is still a lot of general scepticism regarding this provisional arrangement,” he said.
“There still is concern about the slow pace of reform, ongoing human rights violations and related to that the concern that if for example there is re-engagement at this stage, that that may buttress ZANU-PF.
“Against that I’ve had to argue that we have to see this process in much the same way as happened in South Africa in the early 1990s. It’s a time of transition, and no-one can guarantee that it’s going to end happily.
“The entire provisional government is highly problematic, I sit on cabinet with Robert Mugabe, who I have been at loggerheads with for 30 years.
“But what takes us through is this belief that we can’t dwell in the past and that in the interests of saving lives and saving the country, we simply have to make this work.
“That involves sometimes taking a deep breath and working for the future.”
Howard was also moved, of course, by the pressing need for him to shore up support ahead of the imminent ICC conference in Singapore, where he should be ratified as the next vice president and ultimately president.
Clarke and Howard were due to return to Australia later on Thursday, before Clarke and CA chief executive James Sutherland fly to Singapore for the conference on Saturday.