A post by our own Salama Cooper.....
WINNERS AND LOOSERS!
So, the week ended with some competitions and games were played. Some rough and dirty, some smooth and clean, some just ugly!, yes, there's really ugly games out there which plays with human lives. Happens in Zimbabwe.
But first, I would like to congratulate the Liverpool fans (for those who like soccer) and Pittsburgh Steelers fans (those who're into American Football). Pole sana Chelsea and the Cardinals. And that's all I know, please don't ask me more.
I couldn't believe it when I read that, Morgan Tsvangirai is giving in and is joining a coalition gov. as a prime minister with President Robert moron. When is this giving in going to stop?, Is it really the true spirit of wanting to save our people or is it just a wish for the prominent position? According to him (M.Tsvang) he said that it's for cognizant of the poverty and the suffering of the people of Zimbabwe. Yea! but, there's completely no way, none, whatsoever, to remove that antediluvian? Democracy has failed but there's some other ways right? The freaking thing is 84 yrs old for heaven sake!, he also once declared that Zimbabwe was his?? (oh! puh leez, give me a f..king break) what in theWorld does he still want? he probably want to be like Benjamin Button. But, geez!, dude, that's a disease, it's not like it's fun!. He definetely need to disappear somewhere out of this planet and rest his old ass. Or may be he wants to die in the middle of the cabinet meeting to be known as a hero. However, that will just give people extra work of putting together his old skeletons instead of making important decisions for the country and the downtrodden.
The Cholera epidemic is spreading from cities to rural areas, more than 60,000 people have gotten the disease and more that 3,100 have died. The country's economic crisis has worsened so sharply that the number of people needing food aid will raise by next two months from 5million to 7million of the country's 12 million people. Unbelivable!
Some political analysts doubt that a coalition between unlikely partners can last. According to NY Times, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, Sydney Masamvu said that, "It's a question of when, not if, this thing will collapse" It also reported that, some African leaders think this behavior of allowing leaders to keep power through negotiated deals after fraud-ridden elections set a terrible precedent.
It was Dec 2007, when Kenya slid into chaos. As poll results favored the challenger Raila Odinga, an official from the pro democracy group that administered the poll, later explained in the media that, he believed that the results would promptly be made public as a check against election fraud by either side. But then his superiors said the poll numbers would be kept secret, apparently, his institution succembed to political pressure from the western super powers. Little we knew that poor Raila Odinga was viewed differently as not one of them. He was educated in East Germany and named his son after Fidel Castro. Now, if it wasn't for pressure from those who decides what kind of lifestyle Africa should lead, and if polls were released in Kenya, a huge difference would've made and even lives would've saved.
This power sharing aren't the way to go. Does this mean that everytime the ruling party senses the loss in election, it should manipulate the outcome so that they can stay on power?
This makes me asking myself, when I we going to stop bending over?
Why are English majors disappearing?
4 months ago
12 comments:
Nimuda kidogo tangu nimeandika kitu on our blog. Salama, you articulate in the way that no can do it the way you did. Well said!
However, i wan't you to take sometime and analyze African Politics. You will find that African politics have one thing in common. "GREED LEADERS"
Rush
Majority of African politician doesn't worry about their people, but they worry about their political career. What is the difference between this one and Kenya election saga? Dozens of people died in Kenya and at the end of the day Mwai and Laila had tea in state house.
It doesn't surprise me at all. This is the way we're.
Jamani, the issue in Zimbabwe is very straight forward, but confused by the white media and white sponsored internal opposition such as MDC.
Look,the issue of land transfer was at the heart of the Lancaster House Treaty in 1982 ,but in order for its smooth transition required subsequent British Governments to honoured the clear agreements they made. Part of this agreement, required Britain to provide financial renumeration to the Mugabe government to pay back white Zimbabweans; who of course inflated the cost of the land which they got for next to nothing.
People who blame Mugabe, I suggest no little note about what has taken place, and in effect is a distraction and part of the enemy strategy. What progressive African leader has not face this.The mistakes which Mugabe has made, or has been purported to have made are marginal, as what leaders do not excerice poor judgement even when not African leaders opearting in such contexts. The greatest people cannot see the future and make honourable but poor judgement on many occassions.
Ohh that Brad Pitt film was really good but David Fincher should have called this film FOREST GUMP part ii..the book was better though
Sorry GM,
The issue of him continuing holding the president's office has nothing to do with land. Mugabe has to be ousted at any cost. The issue of land is in the hearts and minds of many Zimbabweans, regardless of who is in power. The issue here is rigging elections and not land. I do not care what is being proposed by the Western countries, what matters is the people of Zimbabwe. Zimbabweans used their right to vote and voted him out of office; he needs to respect the rule of law and democracy.
A young intelligent man like you to come here and defend Mugabe worries me a little bit on what precedent are we setting for future generations. . We cannot continue to tolerate these corrupt and unsympathetic leaders, it just sends a wrong message to young aspiring leaders of Africa. AU has to stop dancing around and be firm on such pathetic leaders. Once you lose an election, run to your village and start a new life. No one should tolerate or even buy the idea of this nonsense power sharing. Call the MDC leader whatever name you want, but he won the election in Zimbabwe. I believe the only reason he agreed with power sharing is for the sake of the people who are hit the most.
Salama,
Thanks, for your thoughts, I am discouraged by such kind of leadership. It is about time African leaders have the balls and guts to say no to crappy leaders such as Ghaddafi, Mugabe and many others who cling to power like they were born with it. They are all power mongers period. This old man has lost even the respect he once had as the father of his nation. History would judge him harshly. I hope before this year ends he will rest in peace.
Mis
MISOKASICK,
strange, even though i pointed it out lakini not a single word from you about LANCASTER AGREEMENT!
fyi,
1) There were many things in the lancaster agreements among other things was the ending of IAN SMITH rule while the land issue was included in the agreement...under the willing seller WILLING SELLER,WILLING BUYER terms...dont forget that land was the major reason for the armed struggle in Zimbabwe. At Lancaster house when the two sides thrashed out an agreement/compromise land was also a major factor. But, Zanu PF agreed not to do anything fundamental on land reform for ten years.
In the subsequent years land has never been off the agenda.Mind you, Zanu PF have not removed land from their agenda & their greatest crime was signing the Lancaster house agreement in the first place which gave legitimacy to inaction. The alternative to this was to keep on fighting. (U Zalendo in me and AFRICA) in me says that they should have just fought to the death for land. But then, I wasn't a freedom fighter (bit too young) so I see myself as having no right to judge the actions of Zanu PF at a time when they already sustained heavy casualties etc.
2) You should also know that the British did not honor their part of the agreement. Flip the coin and look at the British stance. At no stage were they ever going to honour their side of the bargain. If so, what has been stopping THEM all these years? They use the same arguments you use that Mugabe’s motives are all bad. They go on to paint Zimbabwe as some hell on earth place. All so that they can avoid helping blacks to prosper which is what the Lancaster House Agreement boils down to in the long run. Mugabe was once hailed as a champion by the west and the Zim economy was held up as an example for other African countries. Why not land reform then?
I am sorry GT,
Do you realy think people do not know about these agreenments and how the British screwed up. Thanks for reminding us, but I stand firm and pray that Mugabe would soon be out of power. He once was a good leader, but now he is unfit to rule the nation of zimbabwe. I am sure land is also on Tsava's agenda, so let him deal with the bogus agreenement. Nitakubali kuitwa si mzalendo, but let the people of Zanzibabwe decide who should lead them.
Mugabe is pathetic and he would not last longer.
Good day,
From The TimesFebruary 10, 2009
Robert Mugabe binges on champagne and caviar as Zimbabwe starves
Martin Fletcher in Harare
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.
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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.
Others said it showed that the Mugabe regime had no intention of curtailing its excesses after entering a unity government with the Movement for Democratic Change later this week.
The Times cannot be entirely sure of the list’s authenticity but it came from a reliable source who was contacted by this newspaper, not the other way round. The source had no vested interest in its publication, was hesitant about releasing it and had himself received it from three or four separate businesses that had been approached for donations.
He said that in each case the approaches were made by groups of youths from the 21st February Movement who were aggressive and threatening, and warned that they would make life difficult for the businesses if they did not stump up. In most cases they are doing so because the cost of fighting the quasi-mafia that runs Zimbabwe is simply too high. Zimbabweans became accustomed long ago to the “elite” staging extravagant celebrations for the birthday of the increasingly reviled President — last year’s reportedly cost $1.2 million — but the organiser of this year’s bash is Patrick Zhuwawo, Mr Mugabe’s nephew, who seems determined to outdo his predecessors.
At the launch of the fundraising campaign in a Harare hotel last month, Comrade Zhuwawo, the out- going Deputy Minister of Science and Technological Development, said that thousands of youths and invited guests would join the first family for the celebrations in Chinhoyi, in Mashonaland West, Mr Mugabe’s home province, on February 28. He said that hundreds of cattle, goats and sheep would also be slaughtered for the lavish one-day celebration.
“It’s an important day for Zimbabweans to celebrate the life of our great leader and Africa’s hero,” he said. “Zanu (PF) continues to receive massive donations from the corporate world, ordinary Zimbabweans and from people from all walks of life and we are confident that this year’s celebrations will be the best.”
He even suggested that the event would raise funds for the underprivileged, which led one outraged academic to quip last night that this would include almost every Zimbabwean not invited to the party and that most would happily accept the extravagance provided that it was Mr Mugabe’s last.
Mr Mugabe’s birthday parties are seldom understated affairs. The celebration two years ago featured 20,000 guests in the Mboka football stadium in the city of Gweru, which was shown on national television. It featured giant cakes, children in brightly coloured sashes mingling with the “elite” and a speech by the President denouncing homosexuality. For his 80th birthday — which he celebrated in his home village of Kutama, 50 miles west of Harare — the day began with a Catholic Mass followed by a festival of school choirs, a police band and a performance by the gospel singer Fungisai Zvakavapano.
Zimbabwe’s newspapers often publish huge colour advertisements wishing the Old Crocodile birthday greetings from state enterprises that have been haemorrhaging money for years.
This year, however, the Zimbabwean media have reported that even some Zanu (PF) members have complained about the planned celebration. Dzikamai Mavhaire, a senator, told a recent provincial executive meeting in Masvingo: “We cannot fundraise for a single person when we have millions of starving Zimbabweans in the country . . . Only [Mugabe’s] personal friends and relatives within the party or outside should do that.”
Birthday list
2,000 bottles of champagne — Moët & Chandon and ’61 Bollinger
500 bottles of whisky — Johnny Walker Blue Label, 22-year-old Chivas
8,000 lobsters
100kg king prawns
3,000 ducks
4,000 portions of caviar
8,000 boxes of Ferrero Rocher
16,000 eggs
3,000 cakes — chocolate and vanilla
4,000 packs of pork sausages
500kg cheese
4,000 packets of crackers
missokasick,
It disgusts me how someone like you could easily fall for the western propaganda. Do some serious research before you start making sweeping comments that Mugabe's land reform has failed and its so strange that some in Tanzania's media have gone to the point of using adjectives such as 'disaster', 'tragedy' to describe an historic process that is in its infancy.
White farmers had over a hundred years to perfect their farming techniques cos believe me the whites who stole land were not farmers when they went to Zimbabwe.
How long have Zimbabweans been given? Not even five minutes. Also, are black Zimbabweans going to benefit from stealing cattle and slave labour as white 'zimbabweans' did?
As you know the problem here is land. If you or anyone who thinks that land reform has failed already needs to consult any serious Economist who will tell you that 15 years is a more realistic time to give. How long have any of you given Zimbabwe?
Look at the example of India and it's agricultural reform for example.It is not an overnight success story. Any story, any anecdotes of difficulties black people are having becomes for example;
Mara ohh 'We are all lazy. Only the wazungu know how to til the land. Only whites can feed the country. Look what happens when you give land to blacks; they waste it etc.'
Its really DISGUSTING how these wazungus see us. As if a third world country undertaking land reform is not going to experience difficulties in getting enough help to its people.But after roughly five minutes of land reform that is not an excuse to say it has failed and that we should give the land back to the whites. Those black people who are completely divorced from land and fail to see that WORLDWIDE, land is power should stand aside and let those who wish to have land prosper. Those blacks given land who fail to utilize land will be judged by their country folk who suffer food shortages or not as a result.
MISOKA,As i said before,I know why I support Mugabe, and why I stay silent on other leaders, who I know little about. I also know a bit about the systems and strategies used to demonize African and Caribbean leaders; which is CLEARLY at play in this instance and if the whites and thier friends were not so quick to demonise black/African leaders, we would perhaps be in a better position to seperate reality from myth and propaganda. Where there is doubt as an intelligent black man, I defend my own in the absence of good information and evidence.How come they are not banging on 4 million people that have died in DRC CONGO?
GT,
I wish you could read my posts more careful may be there would be no reason to be disgusted. I am not saying land is not an issue to deal with, but I think Land has been used as an excuse to continue to put the old man in power for too long. I respect your opinion, but so respect mine as well and that of others. You always assume the other person is not well informed as you. Demonizing and demoralizing African leaders? I think this is a very old technique used by western countries and they cannot afford to use it any more.
For the case of today's leaders such as Mugabe and Kibaki, they deserved to be demonized and demoralized at all cost. They have demoralized their own people for the sake of power. Nadhani unataka kuniambia all of us who believe it is time for Mugabe to let go of power are being driven by western propaganda and brainwashed by the Western media. Are the claims against Mugabe by his own people simply malicious? Let’s not forget that Mugabe was a nationalist and firmly anti-colonial and I have so much respect for his involvement in fighting the colonial rule, but this does not make him pro-democratic. If you deny your won people from basic civil and political rights, then on my opinion you are unfit to rule.
Democracy can be a positive influence in the prevention of many catastrophes such as cholera and famine. If Mugabe was democratic and not so hungry for power, today many Zimbabweans would not have lost their loved ones to cholera or famine. This is a man who had the guts to state the country was not hit by cholera or famine. Seriously!!!!He has jeopardized the lives of his own people.
I think you are a very intelligent person with so much to share, but please avoid making assumptions that we are misinformed. I just happened to believe in peaceful transitions of power.
Thanks.
God Bless you
Misokasick,
Should I laugh or cry? Just come out and say it. You think Zimbabwe is a banana republic don’t you? Reading your post its easy for me to tell that you have been relying on western media for your analysis.
For several years ‘opposition’ to Mugabe has not been of the democratic nature you would expect in Tanzania (not saying ours is perfect).
Did Maalim Sefu or Lipumba ever talk about marching on IKULU and forcibly remove JAKAYA from power? Did MAALIM SEFU fall victim to a ‘set up’ where he discussed assassinating JAKAYA? Did members of CUF,CHADEMA or TLP talk about having people ready for ‘mass actions’? THE ANSWER IS NO, lakini the so called new Zim PM (bwana Morgan has done all of the above in Zimbabwe)!
My friend,any security crisis in Zimbabwe has come from the behaviour of MDC. Any brief glance at African recent history will tell you that when an opposition party is financed by western power then anything from assassination to coup attempt to civil war will follow. That is the security threat to Zimbabwe. The sickest thing is that MDC do not even represent popular feeling or a majority in Zimbabwe. If they had the people behind them for real then they would not even require one penny from WHITEHALL or those lobbyists in K-STREET. That is fact.
You also mentioned issues relating to civil liberties (human rights) well,Mr mISOKA Fact is MDC from their moment of inception have behaved like terrorists...au kwa sisi waswahili twaweza waita GENGE LA WAHUNI.And rightly so, BOB's armed forces and police have treated them as such. One only has to look at how the IRA were originally treated by UK (shoot to kill policy was once in place) and the usa with its ridiculous ‘illegal combatants’ in Guantanamo Bay. A state will treat terrorists as a threat to the state and as such civil liberties will be affected.
Corruption and Civil liberties are a red herring and no one can dispute that Zimbabwe govt’s greatest crimes are:
*Land reform which intended to emancipate BLACK AFRICANS
*Not rolling over and letting a western-backed minority take over the country.
No amount of ruminating over principled leaders or human rights will change that fact.
GT,
u are so full of assumptions. My friend, I am not easily brainwashed and I do not easily buy into propaganda. Anyways, I respect your views, so I will end here and say you believe what you believe regarding Mugabe and I would remain firm on the little I know about Zimbabwe. Has it ever crossed your mind that both of us might be brainwashed but by different sources?
Ciao
My take on Zimbabwe issue is:
Mugabe is Nationalist and Anti-colonial.( Very rare to see Nationalist turn against his people)
Mugabe was kept sweet by UK and US for many years because they didn't want him to press hard on Land Reform Issues
Mugabe once the darling to Her Majesty Government, is now described as Incumbent and Dictator by very same establishment because he don't want play by their rules anymore.
UK and US always put their interest first before anything else. In this Southern Africa region their main interest is the safety to their people life and properties (White peoples)
UK and US have known all along all these years that the micky-mouse Lancaster Agreements will never materialised (whoever become a President!) There is always plans in places to make sure that this will never bear any fruit.
UK and US knows they can't allow majorities to have their lands back simply because this will open a can of worms and the problem will escalate to SA, Namibia etc. This will destabilised the whole region.
UK and US knows land reform is very very important issue to this region above everything, perhaps second only to tackling Aids, but they haven't got any solution on hand so far without compromising the livelihood of their peoples (white folks) and basically they are just trying to buy time. Nobody knows what will happen after the Mandelas, Tutus, Tsvangirais and the good Mugabes leave this world! They prayed no more bad Mugabes to be breeds.
There is every indication that since 'the power that be' doesn't want to tackle the land problems properly instead they’re trying very hard to swept this issue under the carpet, then the coming 10-20 years many African conflicts and ‘violence clashes’ will be marred by land’s fighting like it was in the 60s liberations struggles .
Part of the current Zimbabwe problems (as much as it is Mugabe faults) was engineered and contributed by the UK/US sanctions. These sanctions did more harm than goods and killed many ordinary Zimbabweans instead of Mugabe and his cronies.
Also the Zimbabwe constitution should be respected by the West. If nobody did win election by over a half of the votes then they should also pressurised Tsvangirai to make a coalition Gov. Yes Mugabe is old and has clinged to power for so long yet if 43% of voters voted for him then that should be respected! Yes we were told there were irregularities but honestly I don't believe everything that comes from western Media. especially after knowing that they can manipulate information in a flash if they have some interest on the issue (does WMD ring the bell?)
On the question of Zimbabwe,
Should a whole nation suffer due to ambition or vision of one man? Should an entire generation of youth be bankrupt by the inadequate and impoverished actions and thoughts of the same man? Since independence till this day how far has Mugabe lead his people, our brothers and sisters to the promise land. Yes, he was once a great catalyst for all things our fathers adhere.... freedom, liberty, independence and all that galvanized those who were enslaved by colonial rule. And yes, the West did a blunder and plunder on our hopes and dreams as much as our resources. Yet we need to ask ourselves, are those two reasons enough to forfeit the future of Zimbabwe?
People say, "absolute power corrupts absolutely", how much more so in this case than others. Zimbabwe used to be a jewel of Africa, the young and rising nation full of life and hope. A nation that could've learn from mistake of others around it that had been free before. Yet Mugabe at this point would like to be making decision for Zimbabweans even when he's rotting six feet under. To him Zimbabwe is his, that's why he don't bother mentor anybody for eventual relinquish of power. I don't doubt even in ZANU there are many capable individual to lead that nation but Mugabe won't allow that.
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