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| Africa Subsaharan |
| Robert Mugabe binges on champagne and cavier as Zimbabwe starves |
| 2009-02-10 |
| It is the 85th birthday of President Mugabe this month and the zealots of his Zanu (PF) party are determined that it should be an occasion that their great leader will never forget. In recent days they have been out soliciting "donations" from corporate Zimbabwe and have drawn up a wish list that is scarcely credible in a land where seven million citizens survive on international food aid, 94 per cent are jobless and cholera rampages through a population debilitated by hunger. The list includes 2,000 bottles of champagne (Moët & Chandon or '61 Bollinger preferred); 8,000 lobsters; 100kg of prawns; 4,000 portions of caviar; 8,000 boxes of Ferrero Rocher chocolates; 3,000 ducks; and much else besides. A postscript adds: "No mealie meal" -- the ground corn staple on which the vast majority of Zimbabweans survived until the country's collapse rendered even that a luxury. Those who prefer to give in cash, not kind, are invited to send "donations" of between $45,000 and $55,000 to a US dollar bank account in the name of the 21st February Movement, a youth organisation controlled by Zanu (PF) and named after the date of the President's birthday. Western diplomats and aid workers were stunned when shown the list. "It's just appalling. It's like they are either completely oblivious to what's happening in their country, or completely impervious and just don't care," said one. "It's shocking and obscene," said another, who noted that lobsters were unobtainable in Zimbabwe and would have to be flown in. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #5 ZimBob must of got his TARP funds. |
| Posted by: Skunky Glins 5*** 2009-02-10 19:57 |
| #4 As we all know, the only youths recognized by the government today are the Green Bombers whom the government trained to terrorize innocent people. They were initially trained by the Libyans. Not sure who the ZimBob government's contracted it out to now. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2009-02-10 12:02 |
| #3 The 21st February Movement was established in 1986 as a welfare organization for youths and as a medium to inspire youths to be well behaved through emulating the exemplary character of their patron, President Mugabe. As we all know, the only youths recognized by the government today are the Green Bombers whom the government trained to terrorize innocent people. With elections coming, the funds raised during the planned events in the Midlands are no doubt going to be used to mobilize these notorious youths. Zimbob has his 21st Feb hoodlums, The One has ACORN. Same same. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-02-10 09:24 |
| #2 Anything like getting a no points home loan at the lowest market interest rates while those who make the country actually run are tagged with lots of points and something higher than the Friends of Angelo are offered? Shocked, shocked I say! |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2009-02-10 08:35 |
| #1 Give me a f*ckin break. How could anyone be shocked by this? No wonder "Western diplomats and aid workers" have done nothing to give Bob the boot. They still think he's an anti-colonialist hero. He got rid of those evil whites after all. |
| Posted by: Spot 2009-02-10 08:30 |