An article in the Independent on the human tragedy in Zimbabwe describes the abuses still carrying on against ordinary citizens. Zimbabweans have been, and in some cases continue to be, tortured and killed for supporting the MDC, the government opposition.

This article was published at the same time as African leaders’ condemnation of the illegal activities by Mugabe is conspicuous by its absence. Not that the rest of the world is doing anything else but blowing some hot air around.  Even the recent South African trade union efforts to demonstrate against Mugabe and his henchman did not make a ripple. I’m not even sure if they went ahead with their planned action.

But it was not the inactivity of political powers that caught my eye. One is surely immune to that by now.  It was a statement in the article that claimed that more than a hundred Mahindra vehicles have been purchased by the bankrupt state and distributed to the death squads.

For this Indian motor vehicle manufacturing company to permit its vehicles to get sold to the Zimbabwe government is on a par with the Chinese weapons that were or were not delivered to Zimbabwe a few months ago. One would imagine that a hundred vehicles sold would not go unnoticed. Would any other vehicle manufacturer have blocked a sale such as this, one wonders.

If one were to look to other companies who are assisting the Mugabe government in its genocide type activities then the net would be cast fairly widely. Does Coca-cola still sell its beverages in Zimbabwe? What about KFC, SABMiller, banks such as Barclays and Standard Bank continue to operate in the country. Does Pick ‘n Pay, one of the larger supermarket chains in South Africa, still have supermarkets in Zimbabwe?

I would imagine other international companies are still there such as Chubb, Microsoft, Dell, Apple, Toyota and Volkswagen. What about services providers such as KPMG or Ernst & Young. Some of these might not be represented in Zimbabwe anymore, but many more others will be. Then one reads that the huge South African media house Media24 printed Mugabe’s propaganda material recently. Anything to make a quick buck it seems.

During the final apartheid years in South Africa, what put immense pressure on the white government was the boycott of international companies. Barclays pulled out of South Africa, so did IBM as well as many others. The pressure of international companies not willing to do business contributed to the demise of this elitist and unjust government which also resorted to the odd underhand torture and murder form of persuasion.

How did these companies toe the line? It was through the pressure of ordinary people who were shareholders. Through their shareholders’ lobbying and voting these companies had to cut their losses and leave South Africa. I’m sure it must have cost Barclays or IBM a fair amount.

So, instead of complaining that political leaders are not doing enough, maybe the ordinary person out there does have some power to bring about change. We just have to get off our sofas, out of our comfort zone and instigate some of our own resistance. As consumers we can make a difference.