Mugabe’s current `Contradictions’
Robert Mugabe has been abusing and begging from his real and perceived enemies in equal and bewildering measure recently: `Go to Hell!’, he raves but his call for a blanket amnesty for his suborned security forces whose violence has been directed at so many of his own innocent people, are cases in point. His apparently schizoid state of mind (an industrious, would-be etymologist friend tells me that a split personality is more accurately described as dementia praecox) is more understandable if it is remembered by older observers that his greatest `contradiction’ (one of his favourite words) came almost immediately after Independence in early 1980. That was when he told Zimbabweans that all would be forgiven; he clasped his old enemies to his bosom, figuratively speaking, with that great reconciliation speech. The old `enemy’, his white subjects, have since been grievously harmed or driven out of the country. (A few notorious white rogues were spared for a time). White friends and enemies alike have been replaced by legions of new enemies, most of them black.
But that is not the point of this `discourse’ (another of his favourite words). I want to suggest that from Day One that Robert Mugabe has been pushed and pulled from one side to another of the political spectrum by his followers, his beneficiaries (to say nothing of his benefactors: North Korean military trainers spring to mind) from day one. Economically he has never had much understanding of the long-term consequences of appropriating the power of the Reserve Bank, for instance, by appointing his friends to do his bidding. Naturally this made them rich while there was money in the Treasury to be misappropriated. The destruction of Agriculture, his catastrophic move to pacify his so-called war vets needs no further examination. Socially, he never much liked whites (the late Queen Mother excepted) for reasons which are fairly obvious: they were not always very nice to black people like him - clever and ambitious blacks. He has stayed in power for more than thirty years because of his willingness to change tack when his most powerful allies within and from outside his ruling ZANU (PF) have faltered.
Now, in his old age, he grows forgetful, contradicting himself more frequently. The more unforgiving of his enemies, both old and new, wait impatiently for his demise. Many others would wish that he and his henchmen will, like Charles Taylor, see the inside of the International Court for Criminal Justice at the Hague while he lives. The oldest of his enemies hope to live long enough to see it happen. With diamonds now in the Zimbabwe mix, it would be no bad thing if another international celebrity could, for good reasons, this time, bring a long awaited case to the attention of a world preoccupied with too many post-colonial contradictions.
Copyright © 2004 Diana Mitchell
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Mugabe's legacy to wives of his goons
The sad story told by the wife of Zimbabwe's Assisant Police Commissioner, Todd Jangara, allegedly seriously beaten by her husband, is a stark reminder of what happens when the rule of law is so utterly compromised. This unhappy woman and her family would once have rejoiced, danced and ululated when her husband was promoted to high office. She appears to have known that her husband's first responsibility was to uphold the rule of law and see to it that every Zimbabwean, wives of police officers not excepted, could seek justice Alas! Power corrupts... and we all know how that sentence ends. I wonder if this woman who would almost certainly have been a loyal, dancing and ululating follower of Robert Mugabe's appalling ZANU (PF) party; possibly even a leading light in the women's movement within that degraded organization, understands or regrets what is being done to her sisterhood in a rival politcal party by people like her policeman husband?
History, in this tragedy, speaks loud with the name, Todd, invoked through a court report of the appearance in the dock of the alleged bully. Jangara's first name is Todd. It would be almost certain that Jangara's parents knew of or may even have benefited from the fine, humanitarian work done for oppressed black people of Rhodesia by the late, former Sourthern Rhodesian Prime Minister, Garfield Todd and his wife, Grace. The oppression in Rhodesian days fades almost to insignificance in the light of the cruel acts of Mugabe's goons. If guilty, Jangara, who blames his brothers-in-law for the vicious beatings his wife endured, has exchanged his namesake's noble legacy for one which will go down in history in ignominy.
The saving grace here is that the beaten wife has had the courage to face an apparently malevolent senior policeman, in this case her own husband, in a court formerly unaccustomed to seeing top police lawbreakers, standing as accused in a Chitungwiza Magistrates court.
Copyright © 2004 Diana Mitchell
History, in this tragedy, speaks loud with the name, Todd, invoked through a court report of the appearance in the dock of the alleged bully. Jangara's first name is Todd. It would be almost certain that Jangara's parents knew of or may even have benefited from the fine, humanitarian work done for oppressed black people of Rhodesia by the late, former Sourthern Rhodesian Prime Minister, Garfield Todd and his wife, Grace. The oppression in Rhodesian days fades almost to insignificance in the light of the cruel acts of Mugabe's goons. If guilty, Jangara, who blames his brothers-in-law for the vicious beatings his wife endured, has exchanged his namesake's noble legacy for one which will go down in history in ignominy.
The saving grace here is that the beaten wife has had the courage to face an apparently malevolent senior policeman, in this case her own husband, in a court formerly unaccustomed to seeing top police lawbreakers, standing as accused in a Chitungwiza Magistrates court.
Copyright © 2004 Diana Mitchell
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
My pic at 76
This is an experiment just to see if I can manage pics, a skill I have not practised enough.
A blog for today can only say that I have read of the crass brutality of one Aquilina Katsande in Zim's violently led ZANU (PF) and am horrified. I am regretful that it is likely that I shall not live long enough to see this woman and her ilk brought to account in this world. There is not much else one can say so long as the current regime rules.
Copyright © 2004 Diana Mitchell
Thursday, March 25, 2010
A Post Script on Zim Farms tragedy
Today, on reading the First Post's item on greenhouse gas emissions and their connection with flatulant cattle, I was struck by the statement made by a serious scientist:
"The developed world should focus on increasing efficient meat production in developing countries where growing populations need more nutritious food. In developing countries, we should adopt more efficient, Western-style farming practices to make more food with less greenhouse gas production."
Zimbabweans know that beef is probably next after sadza to the nation's favourite food.
The cattle industry was once equal to the best in the world. From 2000 onwards, Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU (PF) government destroyed the country's "more efficient, Western-style farming practises" built up over the 88 years of colonial government and twenty years of sovereign independence.
What more is there to be said?
Copyright © 2004 Diana Mitchell
"The developed world should focus on increasing efficient meat production in developing countries where growing populations need more nutritious food. In developing countries, we should adopt more efficient, Western-style farming practices to make more food with less greenhouse gas production."
Zimbabweans know that beef is probably next after sadza to the nation's favourite food.
The cattle industry was once equal to the best in the world. From 2000 onwards, Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU (PF) government destroyed the country's "more efficient, Western-style farming practises" built up over the 88 years of colonial government and twenty years of sovereign independence.
What more is there to be said?
Copyright © 2004 Diana Mitchell
Sunday, December 27, 2009
TAGUTA means we have eaten enough
This is a time of year for attempting to tidy up one's email files. I have a tendency to hang on to everything I read so this can be a daunting task. It will never be finished before the year 2009 is out so I have decided to stop deleting and record the following, found in a 2006 file. I have lifted it from the Solidarity Peace Trust, presided over by the revered, reverend Pius Ncube and another cleric. The supreme irony of the words they have quoted from Zimbabweans nearly four, long years ago remains, entirely undiminished as we approach 2010.
Before I go on with this, it occurs to me that ZANU (PF) should rename itself Taguta. Its leaders and followers have surely eaten enough. By now they are, to put it crudely, full to bursting.
Here are the words:
“We applaud the Zimbabwe Defence Forces for taking up the challenge by strapping their guns on their backs and rolling up their sleeves to till the land under Operation Maguta. Under this programme, no doubt a huge food gap will be closed, effectively saving foreign exchange to go towards other priority sectors of the economy.”
GIDEON GONO, Reserve Bank Governor
February 2006
“Not even a single person has benefited from the irrigation this year”.
PLOT HOLDER 1, Matabeleland South
March 2006
“We made money by growing vegetables but all that was ploughed down by the [army] tractor. So now I have not one cent….
PLOT HOLDER 2, Matabeleland South
March 2006
“Destruction of market gardening has destroyed the economic independence of these irrigation communities: where people were self sufficient, they will now be poor and have to look to government to provide everything.”
Ex AREX officer, 27 March 2006
As of now they give us 500 cobs [100 kg] of maize[of our entire harvest] and say that’s enough, we have to wait until the next harvest. Maybe then they won’t give us any…. We had bought our own seeds and fertilisers from Bulawayo and we hired a lorry to carry it for us, and we planted it, before the army arrived.”
PLOT HOLDER 3, Matabeleland South
March 2006
"Nothing in this Act shall prevent any person: who is the producer of a controlled product from using any such controlled product for consumption by himself, his household, his employees or his livestock".
GRAIN MARKETING BOARD ACT (35) (1) (c)
I feel sure that these quotes should be copied and copied again until they find the conscience of Gideon Gono or any other powerful person who feasts and grows fat on Zimbabwe's rapidly dwindling numbers of local farmers and food suppliers.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Copyright © 2004 Diana Mitchell
Before I go on with this, it occurs to me that ZANU (PF) should rename itself Taguta. Its leaders and followers have surely eaten enough. By now they are, to put it crudely, full to bursting.
Here are the words:
“We applaud the Zimbabwe Defence Forces for taking up the challenge by strapping their guns on their backs and rolling up their sleeves to till the land under Operation Maguta. Under this programme, no doubt a huge food gap will be closed, effectively saving foreign exchange to go towards other priority sectors of the economy.”
GIDEON GONO, Reserve Bank Governor
February 2006
“Not even a single person has benefited from the irrigation this year”.
PLOT HOLDER 1, Matabeleland South
March 2006
“We made money by growing vegetables but all that was ploughed down by the [army] tractor. So now I have not one cent….
PLOT HOLDER 2, Matabeleland South
March 2006
“Destruction of market gardening has destroyed the economic independence of these irrigation communities: where people were self sufficient, they will now be poor and have to look to government to provide everything.”
Ex AREX officer, 27 March 2006
As of now they give us 500 cobs [100 kg] of maize[of our entire harvest] and say that’s enough, we have to wait until the next harvest. Maybe then they won’t give us any…. We had bought our own seeds and fertilisers from Bulawayo and we hired a lorry to carry it for us, and we planted it, before the army arrived.”
PLOT HOLDER 3, Matabeleland South
March 2006
"Nothing in this Act shall prevent any person: who is the producer of a controlled product from using any such controlled product for consumption by himself, his household, his employees or his livestock".
GRAIN MARKETING BOARD ACT (35) (1) (c)
I feel sure that these quotes should be copied and copied again until they find the conscience of Gideon Gono or any other powerful person who feasts and grows fat on Zimbabwe's rapidly dwindling numbers of local farmers and food suppliers.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Copyright © 2004 Diana Mitchell
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Time to stop the swop Jonathon Moyo
December's big, political decision-making moment has come around once again for ZANU PF.
Who will rule the party and the country? Which of the favoured sons - or daughters - will prevail in positions of wealth, power and authority? Asset grabbing of what is left of a destroyed economy is so much easier when the generals salute your leader and the CIO directs provincial and traditional leaders to obey him.
The factional infighting has reached epic proportions and for the weary and cynical but still half-interested observer nothing is so hard to believe as the re-emergence of Jonathon Moyo, recently reincarnated as the prodigal son.
This scurrilous son of the soil first emerged in 1989 as a champion of democracy. His impressive speeches and talent for a scholarly critique of the ongoing sea-changes that heralded the end of the Cold War made him many friends among the democratically-minded, including this writer. He got good jobs, great commissions with wealthy sponsors and in respectable academia.
Then, surprisingly, he swopped sides.
There is much evidence that his personal life was in disarray while at the same time he was running into financial storms. The US Ford Foundation and SA Wits university were witness to that. Back in Harare he took a high profile position on the Constitution Commission whose object was to constitutionally entrench Robert Mugabe in power. He was clearly well rewarded for putting his skills at the disposal of the ruling party. He lost badly as the February 2000 Referendum showed. No matter. After destroying the last vestiges of freedom of expression while a junior Minister of Information, he pops up championing some skull-duggery to manipulate the leadership of his party and he is thrown out of his powerful position.
Tjolotjo is his constituency which returns him to parliament and he seems, for a time, to be of independent mind.
The swop to political independence is not convincing and certainly not financially rewarding - this writer has had experience of the latter - and he returns to the ZANU PF fold. The fact that the ruling party takes him back is proof positive of how weak the party has become now that the opposition has made significant progress. How long before he sees his future looking more promising if he makes yet another swop?
Who will trust him now?
Copyright © 2004 Diana Mitchell
Who will rule the party and the country? Which of the favoured sons - or daughters - will prevail in positions of wealth, power and authority? Asset grabbing of what is left of a destroyed economy is so much easier when the generals salute your leader and the CIO directs provincial and traditional leaders to obey him.
The factional infighting has reached epic proportions and for the weary and cynical but still half-interested observer nothing is so hard to believe as the re-emergence of Jonathon Moyo, recently reincarnated as the prodigal son.
This scurrilous son of the soil first emerged in 1989 as a champion of democracy. His impressive speeches and talent for a scholarly critique of the ongoing sea-changes that heralded the end of the Cold War made him many friends among the democratically-minded, including this writer. He got good jobs, great commissions with wealthy sponsors and in respectable academia.
Then, surprisingly, he swopped sides.
There is much evidence that his personal life was in disarray while at the same time he was running into financial storms. The US Ford Foundation and SA Wits university were witness to that. Back in Harare he took a high profile position on the Constitution Commission whose object was to constitutionally entrench Robert Mugabe in power. He was clearly well rewarded for putting his skills at the disposal of the ruling party. He lost badly as the February 2000 Referendum showed. No matter. After destroying the last vestiges of freedom of expression while a junior Minister of Information, he pops up championing some skull-duggery to manipulate the leadership of his party and he is thrown out of his powerful position.
Tjolotjo is his constituency which returns him to parliament and he seems, for a time, to be of independent mind.
The swop to political independence is not convincing and certainly not financially rewarding - this writer has had experience of the latter - and he returns to the ZANU PF fold. The fact that the ruling party takes him back is proof positive of how weak the party has become now that the opposition has made significant progress. How long before he sees his future looking more promising if he makes yet another swop?
Who will trust him now?
Copyright © 2004 Diana Mitchell
Thursday, November 19, 2009
THE `WAR' IN ZIMBABWE IS NOT AGAINST WHITES
BEN FREETH has eloquently described (most recently in The Spectator, November 7) what has happened to him and his family, and by extension to most white farmers in Zimbabwe. It is a terrible tale and among many similar stories, some are even worse. His description of the cruel and wanton destruction of his farm and that of his in-laws, the Campbells, deserves the widest exposure just as he and most white farmers who have become Mugabe's favourite targets deserve to be honoured today for their brave attempts, however hopeless it may seem, to stand against the tyrant.
That being said, I must disagree with his conclusion that `Zimbabwe's nationalist leaders today hate the white man just as Nazis despised the Jew". The men (and a few women) he calls nationalists are not nationalists, such as they once were; they have evolved into indescribably greedy, stupid and probably frightened bullies who hate what they fear most, the rightness of the white farmers' cause. Given the freedoms that Mugabe claims to have fought for, they could feed the nation and restore a once-viable and vibrant economy. The `blame' for the chaos that he (Mugabe) has created belongs firmly with that vain, cunning and wicked old man and his cronies (not, least the military supremos) who hang on to his coat tails - and well we know it.
Today's Zimbabwean tragedy is not only a wholly unjustified `war' against white farmers; there has been an undeclared war against his political opposition, demonstrably an opposition comprising a majority of his own black population. That is what he really hates and he is lashing out against white farmers in the fast-fading hope of restoring his popularity by giving away their lands and their lawfully earned possessions.
He is emboldened now because he no longer needs the farmers to generate the precious foreign currency that bought the loyalty of the military and his party apparatchiks. Diamonds, lots of them, have been found. Who needs oil when your military can kill peasant diamond miners with impunity and grab this new source of wealth. You can't eat diamonds but if you are wealthy enough you can import your victuals. Let the people starve and blame it on the white farmers.
No, Mugabe does not hate whites, he loves power.
Copyright © 2004 Diana Mitchell
That being said, I must disagree with his conclusion that `Zimbabwe's nationalist leaders today hate the white man just as Nazis despised the Jew". The men (and a few women) he calls nationalists are not nationalists, such as they once were; they have evolved into indescribably greedy, stupid and probably frightened bullies who hate what they fear most, the rightness of the white farmers' cause. Given the freedoms that Mugabe claims to have fought for, they could feed the nation and restore a once-viable and vibrant economy. The `blame' for the chaos that he (Mugabe) has created belongs firmly with that vain, cunning and wicked old man and his cronies (not, least the military supremos) who hang on to his coat tails - and well we know it.
Today's Zimbabwean tragedy is not only a wholly unjustified `war' against white farmers; there has been an undeclared war against his political opposition, demonstrably an opposition comprising a majority of his own black population. That is what he really hates and he is lashing out against white farmers in the fast-fading hope of restoring his popularity by giving away their lands and their lawfully earned possessions.
He is emboldened now because he no longer needs the farmers to generate the precious foreign currency that bought the loyalty of the military and his party apparatchiks. Diamonds, lots of them, have been found. Who needs oil when your military can kill peasant diamond miners with impunity and grab this new source of wealth. You can't eat diamonds but if you are wealthy enough you can import your victuals. Let the people starve and blame it on the white farmers.
No, Mugabe does not hate whites, he loves power.
Copyright © 2004 Diana Mitchell
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