TO those who care to remember 1999 was a ‘memorable’ year.
In that year the Zimbabwean cricket team beat India in a World Cup match.
It was the year that the land reform intensified as land-hungry blacks led by the war veterans tired of being stalled by Western governments on the willing buyer willing seller deal.
It was also the same year that the same Western governments decided to pour in money for regime change by funding the trade union thereby leading to the formation of the Movement for Democratic Change.
During that time the economy collapsed as sanctions were imposed on Zimbabwe for ‘gross violation of human ‘white’ rights’.
Significantly in that same year a six-day festival was launched whose objective among others was to use ‘the arts as a tool for positive expression’.
HIFA was soon regarded as a platform by regime change advocates as space to ‘air’ their grievances where the terms ‘democracy’ and ‘human rights’ soon took centre stage.
The white farmers were being ‘dispossessed’ and many Western governments were displeased.
The Zimbabwean Government had proposed the non recognition of gay rights and title deeds given to the white farmers by the colonial governments.
Britain, stung by this outright show of sovereignty by a country from a continent they deemed servile, was enraged into proposing sanctions.
However, as a norm where Britain or America is cornered or stung the other rushes in to defend and the Zimbabwean context was no different.
The United States immediately went on state television to defend the British stance as they have done in Iraq and Afghanistan.
By 2002 the European Union including Denmark had joined the United States on their quest for ‘democracy’ and ‘human rights’.
However, by 2010 other European countries realised that the dispute between Zimbabwe and England was a bilateral issue that did not benefit them.
Countries like Germany and Denmark were on the forefront of softening embargoes and trade sanctions.
After all these countries benefitted from the Zimbabwean horticultural sector and for eight years they were now feeling the pinch of denying themselves colourful roses and gardenias in support of a dispute they were never part of.
This was the same situation in the current dispute between the United States and Russia over Ukraine, where in a typical show of power the Americans decided to impose sanctions on the biggest European gas supplier.
The same situation happened during the Smith era where America imposed sanctions on all Rhodesian products except chrome where they had strategic interests invested.
This brings us to 2014 where the representatives of these countries mainly the US, Denmark and the European Union together with HIFA began to talk about re-engagement with Zimbabwe through the festival as a platform for free speech and democracy.
Earlier in 2013 Denmark had also pledged to spend about US$35 million a year until 2015 to promote democracy as well as poverty reduction, economic growth and assistance in the agricultural sector.
At the HIFA press conference Erik Brogger Rasmussen, the Danish Ambassador said they were re-engaging with Zimbabwe through the festival, after shutting their doors on the country due to a “gross violation of human rights”.
Through their programme DANIDA, the Danish ambassador said they had, “entered into a ground-breaking partnership with HIFA as the sponsor of the festival’s diverse comedy programme comprising performances and workshops”.
These workshops will be training stand up comedians on satiric performances.
The HIFA 2014 DANIDA comedy programme features high-profile regional and international comedy practitioners including Carl Joshua Ncube, Daliso Chaponda, David Kibuuka, Ben Voss and Tats Nknzo.
The regime in Harare has not changed and those with hindsight should really ask why the European countries are re-engaging the country.
Could it be that these countries are cutting their noses and to save face while still maintaining their human rights champions’ stance?
There are questions over the real purpose of the festival in the country. Is it not surprising that it comes when the entire Western world is turning its back on Zimbabwe?
The show has always had a Western feel to it that most Zimbabweans fail to connect with. While it has been dubbed the biggest arts festival in Africa, there is little African about it.