Tomorrow Zimbabwe goes to the polls and the reports are already coming out of the country of the ruthless way the ruling ZPF party of the odious Robert Mugabe is using force, intimidation and food to secure the 50% he requires to avoid a run off by securing 50%+ in the first round.
The Central Intelligence Organisation (Mugabe's own Gestapo) is hard at work. The arguments about the ghastly nature of this evil, racist old man's regime have been well rehearsed. After turning the nation until recently known as "the bread basket of Africa" into an agricultural desert through his disastrous "land reform programme" (ie stealing land from skilled and experienced farmers and giving it to your mates and party loyalists) Zimbabwe suffers from inflation of 1,000%+ and unemployment rates of 80%.
In some ways I can see how, from the historic point of view, Africa's other rulers look up to the Mugabe who took on the colonial forces and helped secure majority rule. But that was almost three decades ago.
Can Africa's leaders not see that the Mugabe of 2008 (pictured embracing the President of Iran who, according to Mugabe, "think alike" and should together "fight against Western superpowers and their evil systems.") is no longer the figure of racial struggle?
He is an old, corrupt despot who, clouded from rational thought by his hatred of the west, is effectively murdering Zimbabwe's citizens. Organisations like the African Union and Africa's own superpower, South Africa, should be encouraged to step up to the plate and deal with this menace that is an open wound on the continent of Africa. Please God, Mugabe will die soon. Then more of Zimbabwe's citizens can live.
