Whatever happens in their country during the foreboding days ahead, Zimbabweans know that an "after" is inevitable. An "after Mugabe" will come even if Robert G. Mugabe, the country's 84-year-old president, manages - through a campaign of violence or other means - to claim another term in office.
Zimbabwe's political crisis did not begin with this disputed election. Its roots include long-standing limits on free speech, widespread human rights abuses, the failure to resolve issues of land distribution dating from colonial times, cataclysmic mismanagement of the economy, corruption on a gargantuan scale and, not least, the impunity of the wrongdoers.
Fortunately for Zimbabweans, even impunity has an "after." Wrongs of the present and the past have victimized millions and generated deep bitterness.
Addressing those wrongs will require truth and accountability. Without them, justice will be impossible - and without justice, peace, even in Zimbabwe's "after," will be fragile.
The urgent need to promote a peaceful transition is a factor in discussions throughout the region and has prompted significant steps by several African states. President Levy Mwanawasa of Zambia, Zimbabwe's northern neighbor, endorsed the refusal by South African dockworkers to unload a Chinese vessel carrying weapons and ammunition destined for Mr. Mugabe's government.
Mr. Mwanawasa's status as head of the 14-nation Southern Africa Development Community gave his words extra weight. Angola - historically one of Zimbabwe's allies - has for now blocked the weapons shipment, too.
These actions and criticisms are, significantly, coming from African leaders, African institutions, African trade unions. Mr. Mugabe reflexively blames colonialism or interference by outside powers for every ill. But the challenges now come from African advocates of democracy and economic development.
Zimbabweans have given serious thought to accountability. At a conference in Johannesburg in 2003, representatives of Zimbabwean civil society and international experts agreed on the importance of creating a truth commission to examine the actions of national institutions and authorities extending back to the era of white minority rule.
