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| Africa Subsaharan |
| Zimbabwe demo turns focus on African leaders |
| 2011-03-28 |
| [The Nation (Nairobi)] The name of the man against whom dozens of protesters rallied in London last week was hardly visible on their placards. Zim-bob-wean exiles were protesting against the excesses of Bob MuggsyMugabe's Octogenarian President-for-Life of Zim-bob-we who turned the former Breadbasket of Africa into the African Basket Case... regime, which they say continues to violate human rights ...which are usually open to widely divergent definitions... and arbitrarily detain members of coalition partner Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). But the protesters aimed their anger not at Mr Mugabe but at leaders from Africa and the West who they feel have ignored the crisis besetting the coalition in Zim-bob-we and allowed the Zanu-PF leader to renew a campaign of terror against his rivals. "Blood on Zuma hands," one placard read, referring to South African president Jacob Zuma. "Bloody SADC Where are You?" "AU act now". Yet another declared, "Bloody Zuma must go now". The fact that the focus of the protests were figures such as the president of regional power South Africa and the leaders of other countries that have leverage with the Mugabe regime such as Mozambique, illustrates how bad things are in the coalition in Harare. There is an acceptance that the power-sharing arrangement between Mr Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai has virtually collapsed and only international pressure can get the parties to avert a return to crisis. "The world thinks that there is a government of national unity in Zim-bob-we," said Ottilia Chiwashira, interim chair for women in the MDC UK and Ireland chapter. "The truth is that Mugabe is governing alone and is committing human rights violations at will to cow his opponents." The protesters who gathered outside the South African embassy before proceeding to several other missions in the UK expressed frustration that the international community was quick to rush into intervention in Libya but had forgotten the plight of Zim-bob-weans. "It is as if the UN charter on human rights only applies to those countries that have oil," said Lovemore Mazivisa, one of the protest organisers. "But the primary responsibility for solving this lies with African leaders. SADC (Southern African Development Community) and the AU have now become a club of fascist dictators." The 2008 MDC-Zanu-PF power sharing deal was modelled on the Kenyan grand coalition. But unlike President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga who have maintained a veneer of civility and held the coalition together, the Zim-bob-wean leaders have little time for each other and Mr Mugabe in particular barely disguises his impatience with the arrangement. The veteran leader has engaged in several acts of provocation against the MDC widely viewed as aimed at bringing down the coalition and forcing early elections. The security forces have incarcerated several leading opposition figures and MPs including Energy and Power Development minister Elton Mangoma who was charged with criminal abuse of office. The recent election of Lovemore Moyo, MDC chairman, as Speaker was nullified. Analysts say these moves are designed to stall the drafting of a new constitution and force elections before new rules that are designed to level the playing field are in place. MDC supporters say with the security forces being solidly behind President Mugabe, only regional intervention or a United Nations ... aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society... sanctioned observer mission can save the coalition from collapse and ensure the constitution review process is completed before the election. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 Leftist culture is tribal itself---haven't you noticed, Besoeker? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2011-03-28 03:43 |
| #1 Tribal and sectarin governance produces few success stories. Unfortunately the leftest policy wonks of Washington and 10 Downing St. do not seem to have caught on to the end game. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2011-03-28 00:49 |