Mugabe's victory: the aftermath
Maurice Gerard 12:55pm
Mugabe's inauguration was a closed affair. Judges in colonial era wigs and robes sat patiently whilst he spoke, whilst advisors and military personnel, bedecked in medals, marched and saluted him.
The rest of Harare was indoors. Shops and businesses shut, even the ubiquitous money changers – now offering Z$50 billion to the pound – seemed to have closed ranks. Harare's central business district was empty, save for the occasional 4x4 and Mercedes off to see the Mugabe jamboree.
The rumour mill was on turbo-mode too: Reports of Zanu-PF supporters looking to exact retribution on those who didn't vote. Tales of hapless voters who spoilt their ballots being beaten in the townships. One young boy next to Harare's suburban university said he planned to join in the presidential celebrations, if only "for security".
"Fear of the Central Intelligence Organization" – Mugabe's Gestapo equivalent – "is everywhere, especially in the urban areas where you don't know your neighbours," said one local journalist, covering his mouth as he spoke at a fast-food outlet.
Yesterday afternoon Zimbabwe's electoral declared Mugabe victor with a record 85.5% of the vote. An unusually high number of ballots were spoiled, however - 9000 out of some 40,000 cast in Bulawayo alone. But there was never any doubt.
Even the usually placid African Union wouldn't swallow it. As Mugabe jets off to Eygpt to confront AU ministers, for the first time African leaders have condemned Zimbabwe's poll and are demanding a rerun. The president leaves an uncertain nation behind.
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Elizabeth
June 30th, 2008 2:21pm Report this commentAll these 'useful idiots' trying to make excuses for South African inaction. The TV is covered with them.
As a 'told you so' may I just remind them that Mbeki is busy doing a 'Mugabe' himself. Checked how many white farmers and families are being murdered each week?
I would also like to say I thought the lionising of a marxist terrorist who has just happened to reach 90 because the SA Nationalist government was not so extreme as the generality of black ones and didn't summararily execute such criminals, was stomach churning. I as good as needed a sick bowl.
I am not surprised the party had to be held here. Who would want to hold a party in crime and poverty ridden South Africa?. I imagine the man himself goes there as rarely as he dare.
He couldn't even be sure the lights would stay on - on the other hand any honest person knows that the lights have indeed gone out across Southern Africa in more ways than one.
Anyone who can remember or saw the old Rhodesia or South Africa will weep.
I wonder if we will have to host the old age birthday celebrations of the two senior National Party politicians who did the most to sell out South Africa to the black avaricious and incompetent thugs who have run the country - into the ground.
Never mind they pleased the big multi national corporations who love corrupt black governments and no labour laws. Thats what matters not the people, black or white.
David Lindsay
June 30th, 2008 6:49pm Report this commentIt's her again.
She of the Single European Act, the Anglo-Irish Agreement, the Exchange Rate Mechanism, the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, the Children Act, the replacement of O-levels with GCSEs, the previously unthinkable phenomenon of millions of dole claimants at any given time, the destruction of the economic basis of paternal authority in (initially) working-class communities, and so much else besides.
It was she who refused to recognise the Muzorewa-Smith Government, instead clearing the way for the Chinese-backed Robert Mugabe by holding out for the Soviet-backed Joshua Nkomo.
Who would have been so much better.
Of course.
Elizabeth
June 30th, 2008 7:47pm Report this commentHER!!!indeed and I can think of a few more deadly sins. Blair was indeed heir to that!!!
Her who looked the other way when 20,000 Matabele got murdered months after the betrayal of Ian Smith and any chance of moderate black rule.
Gero Tsoumaz
June 30th, 2008 11:37pm Report this comment'When I think of what is France, I think of myself'...so goes the cliche-ed paraphrase by Charles de Gaulle on leadership and how to assess the mood of one's country. But even the old leader got it wrong in his last days and unceremoniously stood aside, after reluctantly foresaking his own military intervention and then leaving France to a democratic successor.
That is the problem with autocracy and old age. With few exceptions, they cant give up and they wont let go. The Mugabe's of this world will drag their countries at all expense into a maelstrom of political and economic anarchy fueled by hunger in order to savour their twilight days of power. They lack the intellectual vision and acuity to develop the democratic process and to accept that change is really no more than continued democratic development.
There are a few precious exceptions to this unfortunate rule of thumb and one is preciously close to Zimbabwe: the real living gem to democracy is Nelson Mandela. Even after his many years in Robben Island prison, ironically longer than his democratic political career, he stood aside to let nascent democracy take its course. Mugabe would be well advised to follow Mandela, but time in the guise of old age is with him. Mugabe has created Zimbabwe as his own prison and unlike Mandela, Mugabe will never get out.
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