SW Radio Africa (London)
Lance Guma
2 June 2008
The presence of Robert Mugabe at a United Nations food summit in Italy beginning Tuesday has drawn a barrage of criticism from the MDC, western leaders and human rights groups.
The Zanu PF leader arrived in Rome on Sunday accompanied by his wife Grace Mugabe and several senior government officials. MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said Mugabe had no right to represent Zimbabwe in Italy after losing the March 29th election, and that the veteran ruler should have been man enough to accept he had no mandate and legitimacy to be in Rome.
Chamisa however said, 'We also sympathise with him because this is probably his last international summit carrying the burden of the nation before June 27, and after that the country will be in safe hands when he is gone.'
Australia's Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith said it was 'obscene' for a person who had presided over the starvation of his own people to attend a summit dealing with food issues.
His remarks were echoed by Britain's International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander who also described the attendance as 'obscene,' and said that he was 'outraged' by his attendance. The trip is the first journey undertaken by Mugabe to a Western country since he lost the March 29th election to Morgan Tsvangirai. The 84-year old is thought to have previously flown out of the country for treatment in the Far East. Although there is a European Union travel ban on Mugabe and members of his inner-circle, he is able to travel to UN summits that are deemed neutral territory.
Officials from the Food and Agriculture Organisation confirmed as much when they said all UN member states had been invited to the conference. The state media in Zimbabwe was ablaze with the story as they sought to portray Mugabe as a confident leader who was firmly in control. Only 3 years ago Mugabe attended a similar conference and used it to call US President George Bush and then British Prime Minister Tony Blair 'international terrorists.' A trip to Portugal last December by Mugabe for the EU-Africa summit generated similar controversy. Activists from the UK Zimbabwe Vigil and other groups also travelled to Portugal to demonstrate against his presence.
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well another Mugabe supporter and he must be buying you off too and all this talk of what Mugabe has did but well apparently you are blinded by Mugabe's dirty money as Zimbabwe has been devastated so who are you blaming for the people that are starving and depend on foreign aid for food and this crazy inflation rate? Of course it must be the USA or Britain's fault!
Regardless of what Mugabe has done in the past he now has destroyed the country he supposedly liberated... Sorry I have no pity for people like him so while… [Read Full Text]
Why is it that everyone who writes something that is true about Zimbabwe is a "Mugabe supporter and he must be buying you off"? How absurd can you get? The fact is the writer made some excellent points, why don't you refute them? Why don't you explain just what Mugabe did to "destroy the country" and how it is not sanctions imposed by two of the most powerful countries existing today that is primarily responsible for the economic hardships that Zimbabweans are suffering from?
If this person had made good points that is different and the paper she write from is a Mugabe supporter or at least afraid to freely speak their mind without being fired or killed..
What has Mugabe done? Look at Zimbabwe and it's people who are starving and well if you support anyone other than Mugabe you will be beaten or killed... The inflation of the country where only thugs like him can afford...
I am sick of you blaming other countries for your problems and the problem lies within the country aka Mugabe....He has destroyed Zimbabwe… [Read Full Text]
The USA continues to feed 1mill. Zimbabweans, because they cannot feed themselves, after the farms which produced food were taken from the white farmers and given to Mugabe's friend and family. This is a direct result of Mugabe's Land appropriation policy. Now USA helps to feed the people of Zimbabwe, but Mugabe sees fit to criticise the USA for sanctions and Thabo Mbeki (Mugabe's friend) sees fit to attack George Bush. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you!
How short is your memory??? Before the liberation we where called nothing but terrorists and guerrillas, not FREEDOM FIGHTERS and then freedom was attained at the expense of many good souls, (may they rest in peace). maybe this will jog your memory we where under the brutal yoke of European colonial settlers who had the blessing of the whole West. Do you think any Western country has any vested interest in seeing an African country(former colony) rise up to their standards? I do not believe so. Africa is a big, juice cow and they are going to milk it as… [Read Full Text]
How short is your memory??? Before the liberation we where called nothing but terrorists and guerrillas, not FREEDOM FIGHTERS and then freedom was attained at the expense of many good souls, (may they rest in peace). maybe this will jog your memory we where under the brutal yoke of European colonial settlers who had the blessing of the whole West. Do you think any Western country has any wested interest in seeing an African country(former colony) rise up to their standards? I do not believe so. Africa is a big, juice cow and the are going to milk it as… [Read Full Text]
"The land relocation in Zimbabwe is meant to fail, because its success spells trouble for all the former colonial powers."
No, land relocation didn't work because ZANU-PF made a huge mess of it. Where was the advanced planning? Agricultural colleges for potential settlers? Building up stocks of required seeds, tools etc? Why wasn't land acquisition properly staggered? Why did ZANU-PF thugs get the land which they left stagnant?
ZANU-PF won't take responsibility for their actions. Let's hope MDC does better.
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U.S. Republican Party and MDC-T alike with "Obscene" Media Spin Deception
Stella Orakwue writes eloquently in the May 2008 issue of NewAfrican magazine “It is a pity!”: ‘Do you think that if ‘Mugabe’, had got the money, the financial credits, that Zimbabwe needed, that Zimbabwe’s economic situation would not be utterly different, and that ‘the people’ would not have given him the vast majority he deserved?…It is a pity that the people who voted against President Mugabe have no ability to remember the servitude they existed in prior to the last eight years…Is it too hard without the white man… [Read Full Text]