Hey,
Is mugabe really so bad?? Or is he bad to rich white landowners who have no right whatsoever to own land in africa, land stolen by centuries of colonialism and neo imperialism. Is that not the issue, really?

In answer to Idi, below are current statistics on Zimbabwe - the people who are suffering are ordinary Zimbabwean not white landowners (there are very few of these left)

- Highest inflation, officially at around 1700%. The IMF predicts 4000% inflation this year.
- Fastest shrinking economy
- Lowest life expectancy – 34 for women, 37 for men (source UN)
- Highest number of orphans per capita (source UNICEF)
- Death rate 3,500 per week – exceeds: Darfur (x 10), Iraq, Afghanistan, Rwanda (x 2)
- 80% unemployment
- 80% below poverty line
- Half the population starving
- 24%+ HIV Positive – 90% HIV infection rate in the army, 70% infection rate in post-natal women
- More than 15,000 cases of torture and violence documented since 2001 (Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum)
- 42,000 mothers died in childbirth in 2006 (less than 1,000 in 1996)

I can barely muster the energy to type a riposte to your tragically naive comment. Educate yourself, talk to Zimbabweans both black and white. Then and only then, comment on things you understand.

I am guessing the moniker is suposed to be ironic or maybe defending dictators is your thing?

Hey Zimbabwean Activist

Now why don't you tell us that Mugabe did that all on his own?

And how when theres a nice privatised economy come the death of Mugabe, everythings going to be alright?

You see, there might actually be some truth in what Idi is suggesting........

;-)

Sadly Idi is a good example of how many people think in africa. It is easier to conjure up scapegoats and opportion blame then to come to accept the sad reality that one's hero is actually no better than other desports who came before. The evil white enemy may have diasappeared, but men like mugabe (and Hitler etc) know that there is nothing that unites a people more than a common enemy, whether that enemy exists or not.

So as long as men of Mugabe's ilk are still calling the shots, zimbabwean people will be forced to remain in their current state of mind, chasing shadows and abhoring enemies that dont exist, regardless of whether they know where their next meal is coming from...

I think that whoever thinks what Mugabe is doing, is either clinically ill or just has a sever disregard to the low level of human dignity. What our people are going through is wrong and i dont care whether the man responsible is tony blair, george bush, or Givemore from down the road, Mugabe has resorted to violence and dictatorship because he is too selfish and greedy to give people second chances to life, the last thing he has on his mind is the welfare of the people. And if u think he's right, then God be with u because there is alot of blood on that man's hands, and ur supporting it

Zimbabwe activist: i have spoken to many people from Zimbabwe. But, the issue is still Imperialism, and the ownership of property in Africa.If the imperialists get rid of Mugabe, what do you think will happen? Peace? Equality? Is not the MDC basically a western backed organisation, and that is the main reason that there is even any press about Zimbabwe. Let me ask you the question; who has the real power in Africa? My dear activist, you know many statistics. Have you seen those of either of the Congos. Have you heard of Coltan and the mobile phone. Yes, my dear friend of Zimbabwe, the problem is still Imperialism, and it is still the 'white man'. Sorry, you dont want to hear it, but that really does not change the truth of the statement. Let us also say that what is really obscene is Live8 and these charity events, and the idea that a concert to raise money for africa by the rich western powers is an act of goodwill etc, as though Africans are beggars. The problem in not that AFrica is poor but Africa is rich. This is what brings robbers to Africa, and many of these robbers are from Europe. This is what is truly obscene, not Mugabe. Also,is not Mugabe correct in describing Colin Powell as an Uncle Tom Negro, and Condaleeza Rice as a descendant of slaves echoing her masters voice? In the words of Malcolm X, is not Barack Obama a 'bleached negro'.

I hope these pictures will convey something of the feeling of the event, held two days after International Women's Day (8 March), which celebrated the role of women in the worldwide struggle for justice.

There will be more pictures from the rally and vigil on 'My London Diary', along with my own comments, starting on the March 2007 page at  http://mylondondiary.co.uk/2007/03/mar.htm shortly.

Peter

As I understood it, Mugabe was the West's preferred successor to Ian Smith, as opposed to Joshua Nkomo who was backed by the Soviet Union and close to the ANC in South Africa. The Cold War was not very 'cold' in Africa as the U.S. and Soviet Union fuelled many wars to further their own selfish ends and liberation movements were perverted and compromised by the backing of the super powers.

Mugabe committed many atrocities against Ndebele people in the early 1980s which no one here cared about. The economic mess in Zimbabwe has been brought about by the structural adjustment policies of the IMF, imposed in the early 1990s, as much as by anything Mugabe has done. Capitalism needs CHEAP raw materials for manufacturing, which are plentiful in parts of Africa and so African economies can't be allowed to prosper. Economic chaos and devastation creates ideal climates for political repression - Germany in the 1930s, Rwanda, Yugoslavia - the latter both brought down economically by SAPs. Rwanda was encouraged to grow a single crop - coffee and when world coffee prices plummeted the economy was devastated.

It doesn't matter who is in power when there are colonial economic bodies like the IMF, World Bank, WTO dictating to smaller governments. If the MDC get into power they will be manipulated and
controlled by the super powers and ordinary people will continue to suffer and die. Mugabe has fallen from grace in the West because he has aligned himself with China but he is the same man wanting to hold power then, now, always. The people will rule one day!

Hello everyone
My name is Abigail Jones.I am a 20 year old Zimbabwean, now living in England. I have been heartened and encouraged by the recent wave of international attention given to Zimbabwe, though, as we all know, the situation in that once wonderful and hopeful country has been desperate for many years now, and such attention is long past due.
I think that it is highly important that, at this time, maintaining pressure on Mugabe and on the international community is vital, and I am looking to organise a very large, imaginitive and successful Zimbabwe protest outside the Houses of Parliament in April or May.
Preferably (as I know many Zimbabweans not based in London would like to attend, and cannot do so on workdays) this would take place on a Saturday at noon/early afternoon, after which we would move to the vigil at Zimbabwe House for the usual 2 o clock start there.

I would like to draw media attention to this event when it happens, and I would be most grateful if anyone could give me advice about how best to pull this off or put me in contact with some useful sources. I am hoping this rally will be a huge success, and I would be delighted if it accorded the tragic situation in Zimbabwe more attention and action
Best and many thanks,
Abigail Jones