

Zimbabwe's election

A huge risk that has to be taken

Africa's leaders should give Morgan Tsvangirai a chance to meet the people's wishes

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(It's not just "black African leaders" that have caused such attrocities in the world.) Let us not forget that Africa's liberation depended a great deal on its black leaders. Unfortunately today the style of leadership that was worked well in its earlier struggles serves no use today for the people in Zimbabwe. Mugabe is stuck in the past, and for that Zimbabwe cannot move forward.


Black African leaders have proved time and again that they do not deserve to be amidst civilsed society. The tolerent and at times sympathetic attitude towards out and out corrupt, cruel and incompetent regimes on the part of other African leaders (South Africa being formost one to the tragic events (not less than genocides) in Kenya, Manrovia, Nigeria, zimbabe, Congo,etc.,are proof enough of their barbrian nature.


In viewing the problems in Zimbabwe and Africa, in general, I believe it helps to separate the issues into historical and current. History has a big bearing on the current issues but a lot of Africa's problem today are due to bad governance. As Africas we seem to dwell on the historical injustices as if that is going to solve our problems; that not going to happen. Virtully every people in the world have been subjugated at one time or another (Britain by the Romans and the Vikings, India by Britain, China by Japan, etc.) A lot of these countries have since risen from the ashes, unfortunately one thinks Africans are drunk with the history of colonialism so much that they are willing to ignore the evils perpetrated by African 'leaders.' Until the Africans can freely practice they own enterprise without being bludgeoned for it. The sooner we get rid of useless and self-preserving leaders and allow Africans to be masters of their own destiny then the better we all shall be. Mugabe has failed to run Zimbabwe and should go before he destroys it further.



Just like there is a positive correlation between economic growth and democracy [ vis a vis human rights], there is a corollary relationship between human rights abuses and economic collapse.

The latter exemplifies the case in Zimbabwe. Human right abuses are becoming prominent, what with the struggles of a failed economy. People have little or no access to basics of survival. The cost of living is just unbearable. Take for instance, yesterday, the GOZ introduced a ZM$500 million, a paltry USD$2. This is a clear case of an economy at tenterhooks and a people who are really struggling to make ends meet.

I think the Zimbabwean people leadership should stop being such scavengers at the expense of its citizenry who are at the mercy of politics. And I am pretty sure, as for you Humba, you can afford to be defensive of the situation in Zimbabwe merely because you are not in Zimbababwe but sheldered by a wealth economy elsewhere. Please be real and sincere!


QA2 Surely I thought economic collapse and human rights are not neccessarily the same thing? What is the main concern here about Zimbabwe? Is it the economic collapse or human rights? In both instances the "inherent incopentence of the African" is not sufficient to explain these issues in Zimbabwe. Particulrly when you aquaint yourself with the history of that country. In the 1980's under guess who Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe was hailed as an African success story economically and racial reconciliation. So what went wrong? The answer is not an easy one and thats why a solution has been elusive. As for Drifpin, you are right, Rhodesia was better than Zimbabwe but only for white people.


The more we see the situation in Zimbabwe unfold, the more I doubt the shreds of optimism the Economist continues to hold. Mbeki has had ample opportunities to stand up for democracy and for human rights - to truly take hold of South Africa's position in a frail and forgotten continent. He has failed repeatedly to take them, and perhaps worse has shown little regard for the increasing persecution of opposition voters being purpetrated openly by Mugabe's forces. Simply because there are "worse" governments in the world does not mean we can turn our back on people suffering for exercising their fundamental right to vote - accorded by the government itself.



Zimbabwe was much better off with Ian Smith as Prime Minister than it is today.



Humba:I'm afraid the examples you gave in your first post don't make your point very well. Do you really think Jordan's government is comparable to Zimbabwe's? Free and fair it may not be, but it's nothing compared to the total economic collapse inflicted on Zimbabwe by its current rulers. Somalia and Sudan may be similar-scale tragedies, but they *are* in the news still. And places like DR Congo and Palestine are different because their problem is not bad government but a lack of functioning government at all.Besides, Zimbabwe is in the news now because it just had an election that appeared to have the possibility to change everything. I remind you that the news will always be biased towards talking about what's new. "Saudi Arabia Still Medieval" isn't news, it's just the status quo (although check last week's New York Times for an article about precisely that). In short, don't act like the media are somehow picking on Zimbabwe. Not only is it false, but it wouldn't justify anything if it were. And if you're so concerned about our old sins against Zimbabweans, why not let us try to atone by supporting the removal of their new oppressor?


I am afraid you give African leaders far too much respect. Ninety-nine percent of them have the same protections for their corrupt families and use thugs and false imprisonment of the leaders of the opposition to keep themselves in power. Wouldn't support for the true avenues of democracy be a declaration of war on themselves? Even if they are mutual enemies who wish each other death and decay they would still be asking for a popular democratic wrath by seeming to condemn a man who functions as their own mirror image. Another African proverb: "A hunter whose dog becomes ensnared must expect the same for himself!"


My argument precisely is that the Western concern about Mugabe is rooted in self interest and hypocrisy.After all when Mugabe was playing ball, he was rewarded with an Honorary Knighthood in 1994 from the UK not to mention Honorary degrees from many Western niversities! The West lacks the authority to condemn Mugabe. "Beware of the outsider who weeps more than the bereaved!" An African Proverb.


Wow, is humba Mr. Mugabe's Communication director? Man thats a nice spin job. One that even a western PR director would be proud of. Distract from the issue at hand and make people feel bad for even caring about the issue. Only thing you didn't add was villify the opposition.

But what does your argument boil down to? That because some whites abused Zimbabweans for 100 some years that a black should be allowed to do it too?


As a Zimbabwean never ceases to amaze me the amount of interest outsiders show to the political situation in my country. There are more serious and urgent issues the world should concern itself such as the war in Somalia, DR Congo, Ivory Coast, Sudan, Jordan, Palestine etc etc. Perhaps we should also devote valuable time on the state of democracy in Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia or other equally corrupt regimes that make Zimbabawe look like a Sunday Picnic? Why is the West so interested in the rebuilding of a post Mugabe Zimbabwe? Why this free lunch particularly from countries and people with appalling record of abusing human rights of Zimabweans from 1800 till 1980?


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