Mugabe from the sublime to the ridiculous

Robert Gabriel Mugabe, the 77-year-old incumbent President of Zimbabwe, epitomises everything which has gone wrong in Africa over the past five decades. Using a Fascist and dictatorial style, he is an anachronism in the 21st Century. His manic and senseless policies have systematically led what was once a rich country to ruin and now his agrarian policy is set to become a lasting disaster, as the one remaining staple of Zimbabwe s economy is destroyed. With an election looming, there have been numerous reports of suppression of political opponents, including beatings and threats, while Mugabe himself declares that the members of opposition parties are terrorists. Now, arriving at Blantyre, the capital of Malawi, for the Southern African Development Community summit, he declared that Britain s Prime Minister Tony Blair wants his own version of colonialism but we will resist this . The only reason why Mugabe will allow international observers at the elections on 10th March is because so much pressure was put on him by the European Union, the Commonwealth and the United States of America. The President of neighbouring Mozambique, Joaquim Chissano, declares that he is worried by the fact that the heads of Zimbabwe’s armed forces have expressed their total support for Mugabe remaining in power, because this hints that they would be opposed to the democratic election of the main opposition candidate, Morgan Tsvangirai. Draconian measures taken against the Media have done nothing to alleviate the suspicion that Mugabe will do whatever he can to rig the elections and thereafter proceed with a brutal clampdown on the opposition party members. Mugabe is not needed by his people or by Africa. It is hoped that the international observers will be allowed to carry out their work unhindered while his people vote him swiftly out of office, before this fascist is tried for his crimes and sentenced.

Timothy BANCROFT-HINCHEY PRAVDA.Ru