Oracle of Delphi
KC Hill
Paladin
Craig HillIf Sadame had to, Mugabe must go
February 14th 2007 01:28
I know this is not related to travelling in Australia, but it does have a link to world travel and to Australian foreign policy. I wrote about this issue about two years ago and am quite saddened to see nothing has changed. The issue being, how Mugabe can be allowed to, not only remain in power, but ruin an entire nation in the space of five years, with little pressure on him to change his ways.
Inflation in Zimbabwe is the highest of any nation. The regime decided it would be a good idea to print money to pay off their debts, because that has worked before (sarcasm). New banknotes printed recently, according to London's Telegraph, were stockpiled rather than distributed, as their value was so low. How many times have we seen that done in history and have it cripple a nation more!
My main problem with the lack of pressure from other nations on this regime about this issue, is not simply because Mugabe drove out all the caucasian farmers, resulting in the complete destruction of Zimbabwe's biggest industry; it is also with the regime's relocation of many of the native citizens who they see as supporting the opposition, or to just get rid of shanty towns. How making people move from shanty towns to open aired living is a solution to anything is beyond me.
Add to that the fact there are going to be celebrations for Mugabe's 83rd birthday, costing some ridiculous amount of funds, donated by the people (apparently, as though they have money) and you get a screaming message that Mugabe is sucking Zimbabwe dry.
This situation is history repeating itself - Germany, Cambodia and closer to Zimbabwe - Rwanda and Somalia all come to mind. So there isn't oil or weapons in Zimbabwe, but there are people, and that should matter so much more. I am not saying send in troops, though perhaps the UN troops could go in, ifa way could be found under their charter, but we need to send really strong messages that Mugagbe will die a villan, not the hero he believes he is, and has time to redeem himself by retiring now.
Inflation in Zimbabwe is the highest of any nation. The regime decided it would be a good idea to print money to pay off their debts, because that has worked before (sarcasm). New banknotes printed recently, according to London's Telegraph, were stockpiled rather than distributed, as their value was so low. How many times have we seen that done in history and have it cripple a nation more!
My main problem with the lack of pressure from other nations on this regime about this issue, is not simply because Mugabe drove out all the caucasian farmers, resulting in the complete destruction of Zimbabwe's biggest industry; it is also with the regime's relocation of many of the native citizens who they see as supporting the opposition, or to just get rid of shanty towns. How making people move from shanty towns to open aired living is a solution to anything is beyond me.
Add to that the fact there are going to be celebrations for Mugabe's 83rd birthday, costing some ridiculous amount of funds, donated by the people (apparently, as though they have money) and you get a screaming message that Mugabe is sucking Zimbabwe dry.
This situation is history repeating itself - Germany, Cambodia and closer to Zimbabwe - Rwanda and Somalia all come to mind. So there isn't oil or weapons in Zimbabwe, but there are people, and that should matter so much more. I am not saying send in troops, though perhaps the UN troops could go in, ifa way could be found under their charter, but we need to send really strong messages that Mugagbe will die a villan, not the hero he believes he is, and has time to redeem himself by retiring now.
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Comment by Ahmed
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
Comment by Glen
Reggae
Comment by Ahmed
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
I dunno, but if it was true then it was justified (in a way).
Comment by Glen
Reggae
Comment by Ash
Flashes of memories
I am a Zimbabwean who had to flee my home, my country and my friends and start a new life somewhere that I did not want to be and amongst people who did not want me to be there. Zimbabwe is full of people - you are so right in saying so, which means that the abuse of basic human rights are secondary to the money that can sucked out of the place. None can so no one bothers.
Regardless of skin colour there are people in Zimbabwe who are suffering and I can assure you it is not at the hand of abuse from caucasian farmers. These so called abusers, have been made to dance on the front lawns of their homes, naked with their children and wives being raped and beaten infront of them. They have been beaten and strung up in barbed wire and driven behind cars through the streets of town until they have died. They have had hundreds of war veterans arrive by the truck load brandishing machete`s and screaming abuse, telling them to get out of their homes or die. Police arrive with these people. Police stand by watching while these atrocities happen. Whole villages burn to the ground and people run for their lives. I remember watching as four men were hijacked by men brandishing AK-47`s. They shot these men in the legs so that they could not flee and stood over them, whilst these men begged for their lives. They waited for the Media to arrive and made these men beg even more. Then they shot them in cold blood.
Every day you live in fear. Every day you watch as a loved one leaves the house and wonder if it will be the last time you will see them. Every night you hardly sleep because all the sounds around you could be someone breaking into your house and murdering, raping, beating your family.
There is no skin colour. There are those who are in support of Mugabe and those who are not. And there should be something done about it because the average person in the street cannot do anything.
ooooohhhh this really makes my blood boil so I will end off now.
I am glad you see the bigger picture Glen and I hope that something will be done about it because ZImbabwe is a beautiful country and is full of beautiful people.
ash
Comment by Damo
Presure should been put on him but when the nations that should speak up become morally questionable they lose influence.
Comment by Glen
Reggae
Comment by Luke
Old Movies
Cane Toad Warrior
Comment by Ahmed
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
Comment by Damo
Comment by Ash
Flashes of memories
My generation has fought to get rid of the lables - the lables that have named the "white" people as one thing and the "black" people as another. That has been used to turn person against person...now money talks.
There are so many people out there who lable us...we do not have the privilege of free schooling, we do not have the benefit of the dole, we do not have the privilege of a decent medical system (I once went onto a Government Hospital and let me tell you with the amount of blood that was splashed on the operating theatre walls and floors and the 1 in 3 AIDS ratio of the population I would have preferred to die on the sidewalk)....we simply stand by and make the best of a bad situation.
I speak for all migrants here when I say that all we want to do is make a better life for ourselves. Are we not entitled to that? Are we not all Citizens of the World? So why the prejudice? Why the bad feelings when someone looks the same and then opens their mouths and sounds different? The world is all of ours to inhabit...as much as we respect the environment we should respect each other.
Let us look at the past history of countries, not only African but the world over, and see the struggle that people have gone through to just to live their life. LIFE everyone...not money....not riches...not fame and glory... the simple thing of going to sleep at night and not being afraid...of walking out your front door and not being afraid....of not being afraid!!!!
well done Glen
ash
Comment by wanya
Comment by Ash
Flashes of memories
As a "White" Zimbabwean I hope that we can come to an agreeance on the situation there. As far as I understand my generation was fighting to get rid of the history of the past and work together for a better Zimbabwe. We come from a land that no one will understand until they have been there, a warm and welcoming nation with a land that rivals even the best and most picturesque land in the world. We are a proud nation. I love my home. I love the people. I wish that we were not referred to as the Nomads...we work in a 20 year cycle and we are spread throughout the world because we come from such chaos.
And you do always feel like you have to be sorry for where you have come from. I deal with racial prejudice on a weekly basis.
I hope you join Orble wanya and share in this experience and experiences of the past as it is time for voices to be heard and past misconceptions to be put by the wayside.
ash
Comment by Ahmed
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
I am more inclined to believe Manya about the abuse white people inflicted on black in Zimbabwe simply because hsitory repeats often times.
but like I said, I'm not at all sure on the situation up there, for all I know the black people were abusing the white people.
Comment by Ash
Flashes of memories