This demonisation of our leader Cde Robert Mugabe is clear evidence that some people are still colonia and imperialist. They are the reasons why seasoned leaders lioke Mugabe cannot afford to handover to younger people. Mugabe is a liberation hero and continues to fight for the freedom of the people of Zimbabwe and Africa in general. Bravo to other African leaders like Mbeki, Monthlante etc who know the reality.

It is shocking that in this day and age that one can make such comments. Do you bury your head in the sand? Are you oblivious to the plight of thousands of Zimbabweans? A country that was once the bread basket of Southern Africa is now decimated by poverty. I have witnessed Zimbabweans crossing the border at Vic Falls to buy bread in Livingstone to sell on the streets at home. All this is happening during Mugabe's reign. How can such a brutal dictator be regarded as a hero? This is the man who oversaw the butchering of 1000's of Ndebele in the 1980's and who has driven people from their own country into SA, Zambia and Botswana to sleep on the streets.

Bravo to African leaders like the late Levy Mwanawasa and Ian Khama who have stood up agianst the brutality of this evil tyrant. May he rot in hell!

Your comment implies that anyone who criticizes Cde Robert Mugabe (no matter what he does) is "colonia and imperialist". Mugabe can plunder the nation, torture and destroy anyone he likes, but the loyal African must acclaim him as a hero, even if his body is maimed from torture. Do you think we Africans are so stupid as to support a "liberation hero" even when he destroys his own people. We have minds of our own; we will insist on the democratic right to elect our own leaders and to vote out of office those who destroy us.

Those who support Mugabe are desperately clinging to a worn-out liberation/anti-colonialism rhetoric, which assumes that a person can be discredited simply by attaching the label "colonial" to him; conversely, that anyone who is a "liberation hero" can do nothing wrong. You will have to become a bit more sophisticated than that to persuade any intelligent person of your point of view.

Those who support Mugabe are the ones who have no regard for African independence and self-determination. The people of Zimbabwe voted him out of office; to insist that he must remain is to subject Africans to an oppressive power which they themselves have rejected. You and Mugabe may think that he "cannot afford to handover to younger people", but the people of Zimbabwe have decided differently. The point is not what you or Cde Mugabe think; it is what the people of Zimbabwe think.

As for the statement that Mugabe "continues to fight for the freedom of Zimbabwe and Africa", what kind of freedom is cholera, starvation, hospitals closing down, raw sewage in the streets, torture and imprisonment for any voice of dissent, beatings for peaceful demonstration, inflation in the millions of percent, 3% pass rate in schools, 4-5 million people in exile, 4-5 million needing food aid?

This post was deleted because it contravenes AllAfrica's commenting guidelines.

This post was deleted because it contravenes AllAfrica's commenting guidelines.

I lament the collapse of Rhodesia and wonder what kind of people regard Mugabe as a liberation hero? he murdered all the original Zanu PF leaders, came into power by violence, maintained power by violence and refuses to cede to popular votes. Priminister Ian Smith was a better man: a true African, dedicated to our country, Rhodesia and until the day he died never said a negative thing about blacks. As far as history is concerned, my birth certificate states I am a Rhodesian and I will always be proud of it.

To hell with Rhodesia you are just the same with Zanu PF Zimbabwe. Rhodesia was about racial discrimination and the current Zanu PF is about anti-opposition you are just one and the same thing. Dont be proud of a failed regime. ZveRhodesia ndezve kumba kwa amai izvo Fusheke.

Gt: let’s not get emotional no swearing...etc lets use facts and one's right to choose. Ukati unoda zanu parikenge I respect you narrow mindedness but respect other people's right to choose. We still have to account for the villages wiped out by Prence Shiri in Midlands, Matabeleland North and South. I think failure to understand the plight of Matabeles is Tribalism which infact in a form of racism. On one hand you are talking of Rhodesian racism but fail to acknowledge lower Gwelo genocide? Why are you one sided aren't Sindebele people Zimbabweans too? In Rhodesia these people would still be alive. All this drama and for what? You lost the election step down, Smith stepped down, De klerk stepped down, Mandela stepped down, Mbeki stepped down, Chissano stepped down…….. and the list goes on. Ok he does n’t want Morgan Tsvangirai how about other people from with his own party? There lays the problem, a despot!

Charity begins at home, they say.

How do you treat your opponents? LOOK in the mirror, dude!

Or, are you afraid to see what will stare you in your face?

If not, then take a good look: you won't like what you'd see, trust me.

i regard Comrade Mugabe as a "liberation hero." If you have a problem with that, the Comrade lives in Harare, and you can walk up to him, and call him all kinds of names. Trust me, nothing, absolutely nothing will happen to you.

Now, compare that with the racist regime of Ian Smith, the irrationalist, chest thumping racist. Sure, he may not have announced his racist animus, for he is a politician: his acts, however, spoke volumes about his disdain for what you call "blacks," and I call Zimbabweans.

Finally, "Rhodesia" did not "collapse." Rather, it was destroyed by Mugabe and other anti-racist fighters.

Is that what you lament? The destruction of the house of privilege for so called 'whites'?

YOU WANT THAT? WHAT STOPS YOU FROM BRINGING BACK THE RHODESIAN REGIME? The might of "liberation heroes," of course.

Regards.

What liberation hero? You make it sound as if he unanimously fought by himself, victory was for both sides, hence the reconciliation after independence. Rhodesians gave Mugabe a chance to do it and he failed dismally(remember Sally Mugabe in 1981 was arrested at Gatwick airport with diamonds) and while in the process of his ruling we lost 20 000 Matabeles who in his right mind calls a serial killer a hero? How many members of his own cabinet have died mysteriously? "Nothing will happen to me if ...call him all kinds of names" did you not see the 100 people murdered during the last election? ZanuPF itself does not allow anyone aside Mugabe to rule. The man has positioned himself a very violent emperor and he is buying time for his own son to rule. Look at the differences in what you call racism in other countries and you will see Rhodesia was a better place than the present Zimbabwe.Every person has the right to choose between what right and wrong, in this case Marxism/Zanu is wrong and the Rhodesian system may have needed some corrections but was right.

jallohlaw - who do you think Mugabe liberated ? the oppressed ? the people of Zimbabwe are still oppressed. Do you think Mugabe stopped oppression of the white man over the black man, so that he could take over and oppress his own people ?

While it is true that he took over from the white man in oppressing Zimbabweans, Mugabe never held a gun, never fought in the trenches, and didn't liberate anything. He was a coward, that waited until the war was over before he came in.

The truth is, Mugabe has absolutely nothing to do with why Zimbabwe got independence. Joshua Nkomo had way more to do with that.

Mugabe remains a petty little man with no courage or backbone, and is no more than a lowlife and a thief that stole an election, and then stole from the treasury.

First, if Cdr. Mugabe is a "coward," he'd be in Paris---and we know, don't we, who is NOW in Paris, rocking with you know who; French neo-imperialists?

Second, the Cdr. was a member of an armed anti-racist entity. Thus, it is illogical to attribute the liberation of the people Zimbabweans call "Zimbabweans," and the neo-racists even in this thread dare to call "blacks" from the racists led by the boneheaded Ian Smith to Cdr. Mugabe.

An anti-racist, take no nonsense entity to which Cdr. Mugabe belonged, LIBERATED Zimbabweans from the racist xenophobes, and this same entity DESTROYED the guts of the Rhodesian racist machine. Go ahead and deny that, dude!

Finally, you aver that the great fighter "never held a gun, never fought in the trenches", bla, bla, bla.

I suppose you there, there in the trenches. If so, PRODUCE YOUR EVIDENCE in your next posting, and be extremely judicious before your post gets effaced encore.

Kindest Felicitations and Highest Regards.

jallohlaw Thu Nov 20 23:45:27 2008 - Wakanga urimu Auxliary wa Muzorewa Fusheke!!

Jhollowjaw,So so sorry didn't realise Mugga was such a pure example of whats good for Zimbabwe.Cretin!!

Jhollowjaw,So so sorry didn't realise Mugga was such a pure example of whats good for Zimbabwe.Cretin!!

If Mugabe is such a strong man, why did he murder 20,000 Ndebele people in his "moment of madness"? Why did he ban aid destined for thousands of Zimbabweans in grief? Why did he alter the GNU agreement before it was signed without the other 2 parties knowledge? Why did he create a campaigne of violence and intimidaton which saw the murders of over 130 MDC supporters during the election? Why did it take him 6 weeks to fudge the results that should have been released within 3 days? Why does he continue to ban free speech by the continued harrassment of journalists? Why does he force his military to vote for him? Why do so many people leave Zimbabwe on a daily basis to get away from him and his government? Why has Mugabe let his reputation as a great liberation hero (fair enough) get changed to a despot that was too powerhunger to let go of power that he would rather see his people starve? Why does Mugabe have hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign bank accounts when his people starve and he cant afford to run a government? Why does he accept gifts from the chinese and and steal money from the donations from the Global Fund to the tune of $7.3 million USD to fund his lavish lifestyle? Why does he not care for his people? Why would he rather see his people suffer so he can keep power? Sounds like a coward to me, he should be in the hague facing up to the genocidal crimes he has committed. Zimbabwe is way better off without him.

Well, I would certainly argue with your blind support of coward Mugabe, if your comments were sensible or even comprehendible.

I know that he wouldn't be in Paris, because he would be arrested for war crimes.

If you can string a sentence together, please explain how Zimbabweans are better off for having Mugabe steal the elections.

Are they eating better ? NO. Are they being educated ? NO. Are they healthy ? NO. Do they have an economy ? NO.Do they have any future at all ? NO.

Do they have the highest rate of inflation of any country in the world ? YES. Are they starving and dying ? YES. Are they in more peril now, then they were under the racist Ian Smith ? YES.

So, continue wearing rose coloured glasses, and blindly supporting coward Mugabe. All it proves, is that you are Zanu PF, and fear what will happen, when you are finally brought to justice for all your criminal atrocities.

A monkey could have done better for Zimbabweans, than coward Mugabe, because a monkey, although not much smarter than coward Mugabe, is not evil.

Mugbe is worse than coward. A murderer, a monster, a looter of national pride. He must be under fire in hell.

Bootlickers like Jallow, Mabhiza, AK47 who praise such a monster must be protected from civilised communities by herding them into psychiatric institutions.

If you uch as utter any critisism of Mugabe in Public you will be arrested, beaten and jailed (which today is a death sentence) So you utterance is worthless and ignorant. Note that the government is releasing criminals back into society as the jails are too full, there is no water, no food, absolutely nothing. As the government puts it, they are releasing prisoners on humanitarian reasons as con ditions in the jails are too bad. You can bet it will be those that have sworn allegiance to Mugabe, the rest will be left to die.

I think you'll find that Mugabe would have you eliminated pretty damn quickly as he has done with other voices of dissent across his country...

you would have to be kidding, mubage would have them killed at the very least as he has done before many thousands of times if someone does not agree with him. mugabe and regime are cowards and someone as short as mugabe would need a ladder to punch most people in the face!

Take heed. Your qoutation "The personality cult built around him and his entire personality make-up [of which vanity, or a "grandiose sense of self", is but one characteristic]is not limited only to Mugube but also applies to some "leaders" of the ANC, SACP, and Cosatu. These persons want us South Africans to pay for their grandioise theories which have failed abysmally internationally over the past 90 years. None of them have any proven track record but their verbosity tries to conceal this!

Here is an interesting article from the Los Angeles Times. An undercover reporter and his their interview w/ an official from the CIO (anonymous of course). Maybe there is hope after all......

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-cio20-2008nov20,0,41841 19.story

My compliments Dr. Venter, you perfectly characterized Robt.Mugabe. Job Well Done as I will print this one out.

Almost as entertaining are the comments. I didn't feel like putting on my helmet and flak jacket today, so I deferred to will205 and sat on the comment sidelines in his corner.

Y'all Be Well.

Thank you Dr Venter on an excellant and thought provoking article. The characterization of Robt Mugabe having a " a grandiose sense of self" was priceless. I printed the article for my files.

As for comments on the folks who chimed in, I'll sit in will205's corner for today.

Y'all Be Well

In hardly fifty years these socalled modern African leaders - cum - liberation heros have, arguably, done Africa more harm than even colonialism did in over hundreds years. Now the sad-istic SADC, has now joined the long list of discredicted and corrupt African rogue cabals as a sorry excuse for leadership. What a dumb concept quiet diplomacy has turned out to be - like we didn't know it was back room chicanery to support crooked politicians.

At this rate what Africa will look like in another fifty years is not hard to predict. African is systmatically and sadistically being destroyed by the same leadership that claim to fight it. The dictatorships make it easy for this socalled leaders to criminally kill and plunder in ways that know no precedent; usually in complicity with the same international interests they claim to have fought and still fight against.

For example the mayhem and plunder that the Democratic Republic of Congo is being subjected to has been done by corrupt African leaders in complicity with international exploitative interests. The Congo resources unknown to the Congolese may no longer belong to them because they have been signed, mortgaged away to various international metropolises without their knowledge in dark conference rooms around the world by socalled African leaders.

When this history of Africa is written it will make the 1884-85 Berlin Conference on Africa a child's mock debate.

Africa needs a new revolution to throw the thugs out so that true democracy is established. "Aid and trade" without democracy is waste of time, resources, and lives.

Dr. Venter ~ I may not speak for all, but from anyone who truly cares about Zimbabwe, now and in the future, Thank You. Conciseness & Accuracy must be your by-words. I also thank you personally. (For other readers : If you could take this mans mind, and others of obvious talent, and replace the bugling bozo’s that are the SADC, you would see a different world. A happier, well fed, forward looking, world.)

Anyone in the know knows that Pepper Dokta Vent is a hired gun, a mouthpiece of the vanquished neo-con REACTION in the USA.

Accordingly, his anti-African toxic bunkum would be greeted with glee by you'all Texasboy (where is the hood, Texasboy, now that your President elect, Senator Barack Hussein Obama, is what your Dixie ancestors used to call "a nigger".

Horror of horrors y'all: "A nigger" in the White House! Wonders never cease, and God works in mysterious ways, indeed.

And who put him there? Your kids, of course. They have disowned your racist claptrap.

Your attempt to smuggle, or to use the current Yankee jargon, out source that heap of archaic clap trap to Africa SHALL BE MET WITH LEGITIMATED AFRICAN FUROR.

The GREAT AFRICAN FIGHTER, Cdr. MUGABE, according to credible ZANU/PF sources, eagerly awaits your rag tag Dixie troops in Harare. The FIST OF AFRICA will out Sherman Sherman or, perhaps, given the bottomless ignorance of racists, you know not who Sherman is.

Very well, then: bring it on, all the same!

Y'ALL WILL SOON COME TO KNOW THAT ZIMBABWE AIN'T NO IRAQ.

Fixing for the big fix in Harare, and rocking in anticipation for the joy and absolute freedom that warriors live for,

Cheers.