When last we saw Zimbabwe’s Dictator-President Robert Mugabe in the European Union, he was at the UN Food Summit in Rome this month, allowed to come despite an EU travel ban because it was a UN event. He loves those loopholes, although he didn’t need one in December when the EU, courtesy of the invertebrates of Portugal, who held the rotating EU Presidency, invited him to attend the EU-Africa Summit in Lisbon, Britain’s Prime Minister, The Rt. Rev. Msgr. Gordon Brown, was the only leader with the guts to boycott the summit which legitimised Mugabe.

Mugabe is like having your crazy uncle at a party because everyone was holding their breath waiting to see what kind of lunacy would dribble out of his mouth, but he was good because he knew he had snookered the EU again. The problem is that Mugabe isn’t funny because he’s a killer, of democracy and people, and tolerated too long by the EU because they are afraid he will say criticism of him is a conspiracy of white people to re-colonise his country. He’s a virulent racist himself and handed over farms owned by white farmers who were producing a surplus of food to people who wouldn’t know a till from a tractor. The result is that while he was eating caviar in Rome and Portugal, five million of Zimbabwe’s residents had little or nothing to eat.

Now 84 and somewhere between senility and insanity, Mugabe has free rein because the US, EU and UN won’t go far enough in their sanctions and he simply jails or makes disappear or kills people who oppose him. That’s not good news for his opponent, Morgan Tsvangirai, in the June 27 runoff election. Tsvangirai beat him in the preliminary in March and better hope he doesn’t get Bhuttoed. He hasn't been, but he quit before Mugabe's thugs killed the whole MDC electorate.

There’s zero chance the election will be fair if it’s held because Mugabe’s thugs have been busy beating and killing people, cutting off one woman’s hands and feet before setting her on fire, but that missed the attention of the EU or the European Parliament, which has issued a couple of really harsh resolutions against him as their little riposte. Even UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, who comes from the school of never saying anything bad about anybody, took a stand.

Ban told ambassadors to the UN that Mugabe’s suspension of relief activities by foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) has hurt two million people who now aren’t getting food, health care, HIV/AIDS treatment or gone to school. Then he said what European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso or European Parliament President Hans-Gert Poettering should have said if they could push themselves away from their free buffets where they discuss how horrible it is that Zimbabwean children aren’t eating: “It is of the utmost importance that the violence be stopped immediately and that humanitarian assistance is facilitated, not prevented.” Too bad the UN’s Insecurity Council refuses to meet on the matter because China just loves Mugabe, so maybe he can have a front row seat at the Beijing-Brussels Inhumanity Olympics in August.

Someone in the EU beyond a couple of Members of the European Parliament who are ignored like serfs needs to stand up and shout: “This guy is a lunatic and has to be stopped, no matter what it takes.” Bosnia and Iraq have been invaded for similar reasons. How bad is Mugabe? He was criticised by Kenya, where a disputed election led to the massacre of thousands of people. Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who sold out his own murdered supporters to get the job, called Mugabe an “embarrassment” to Africa and said international peacekeepers should be sent to Zimbabwe to ensure free elections can be held. Why hold the election, the results are already in: Mugabe won. Even if he doesn’t, he has a back-up plan: he’ll ignore the results. “We are not going to give up our country because of a mere X. How can a ballpoint pen fight with a gun?” he said. If that doesn’t work, he has another back-up plan. If the EU resurrects its dead Lisbon Treaty, there will be an opening for an EU President, and since Mugabe apparently can come to the EU whenever he wants, he’ll be able to find the road to Brussels.

EU/Own

Nothing, my brother!


They are all too chicken! Either they don't want tobe labelled racists or they don't want to be excluded when the mineral riches come up for sale again.

So what's next in store for our brothers and sisters in Zim? Here's a really good overview of the possible scenarios. I think the likeliest is that eventually ZANU-PF will split and some leaders will turn on Mugabe. ZNU_PF will get weaker and weaker, and Mugabe aling with them. Their willingess to use violence and the mgiht of the State against their own people will eventually come home to haunt them. The chikens will come home to roost eventually. It happend in all similar regimes. Some senior ZANU people will probably make deals with MDC as the economy deteriorates and as they realise they may be dragged to the ICC eventually they may want to save their skins. Mugabe's ability to keep people on his side will be further weakened as the itnernational community and African states turn on him. All in all it is realyl only a matter fo time. I think the only real outcome that will be the first step towards rehabilitatin Zimbabwe will be free and fair elections sueprvised by the UN, AU and SADC. Failing this, any government - whether MDC or ZANU-PF will never really be able to claim legitimacy. What do you think?

BBC

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"Nothing is complete and thus nothing is exempt from criticism." - James Luther Adams:

Never liked him much, but this is what the former apartheid regiem ruler de Klerk thinks of the situation in Zim. At least he had the wisdom to let change happen in SA. Not so for Mugabe.

[quote]'Mugabe needs to be toppled'

June 25 2008 at 03:25PM

Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe had to be toppled, former South African president FW de Klerk said on Wednesday.

De Klerk, a Nobel peace laureate, told the Cape Town Press Club that those who were concerned about Zimbabwe had to ask how they could constructively support moderate forces in that country.

"I think he needs to be toppled. Mugabe needs to be toppled," he said.

He could not see Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai entering into a government of national unity.

However, he was sure Zanu-PF was divided and that there were moderates in it who were extremely unhappy about what was happening.

"And somehow or another all moderates in Zimbabwe should be brought together and should be strengthened and helped... to end this terrible tragedy which is taking place."

Asked about President Thabo Mbeki's policy of silent diplomacy on Zimbabwe, De Klerk said Mbeki's only real option had been to put pressure on Mugabe.

"But I think any president and also President Mbeki could have put stronger pressure.

"I think there has been on the issue of quiet diplomacy, too much velvet in the glove and too little iron in the fist". - Sapa[/quote[

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"Nothing is complete and thus nothing is exempt from criticism." - James Luther Adams:

We can petition , Sammy can talk to and into Rob , but with the sense there might be a problem..

I have the feeling, believe and conviction that live in Zimbabwe is pretty much the same as in Namibia, very peaceful and safe for anybody. We all know how the press and media can blow up things in Africa.

Robert Mugabe is simply the best Zimbabwe can dream about, he free Zimbabwe from white oppression and colonialism. A hero that all Africans should respect, not to mention how he handles the land issue.

Victory to Mugabe is what we all should chant and we should give to our brother and great comrade all our support that's needed.

Away with slavery now!!!

Mugabe show all African leaders how to handle power in a just way. Namibian and South African leaders should learn from such a great leader how to rule a country.

I 've been for the last 3 weeks in Zimbabwe and it's absolutely peaceful. Things go on normally. There were now fear at all in the streets.

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Ar.

It's calm today, on voting day, because very few people have gone to vote, and of course the regime wants to create the impression that everything is peaceful. Ar - You just don't have a clue, do you? A friend of mine is languishing in a jail in Harare. He's a journalist, and do you know what he's charged with? He wrote an article about how the security establishment is involved in rigging the country's elections. Show us proof that you've been in the country. I don't believe you for a minute.

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"Nothing is complete and thus nothing is exempt from criticism." - James Luther Adams: