SW Radio Africa (London)
Alex Bell
4 December 2008
In the strongest indication yet that African leaders are finally turning their backs on Robert Mugabe and his murderous regime, Kenya's Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Thursday said it was time for African governments to oust the ageing dictator.
Mugabe's steel grip on power has seen the once prosperous country deteriorate into chaos. Zimbabwe's economy and social systems have collapsed, and it is becoming daily more clear that serious and immediate intervention is needed to spare thousands more lives in a country ravaged by crises.
Thousands of Zimbabweans have already died in what has become a physical battle to survive, with a desperate food crisis and critical cholera outbreak threatening to kill off genocidal numbers of the public. Combined, imminent starvation and a disease that is out of control are threatening the lives of half the country's population. The UN has warned that up to 5 million people face starvation by January, while international medical assistance organisation, Doctors Without Borders, says 1.4 million people are already threatened by cholera.
At the same time, the country's local currency has completely crashed under the severe weight of hyper inflation that experts say is unofficially over five quintillion percent. Daily cash withdrawal limits have not been enough to buy so much as a loaf of bread, meaning those Zimbabweans with money in the bank have spent days in bank queues trying to withdraw enough money to barely survive. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe this week announced that the daily limit will increase to Z$100 million per week, but the announcement came too late to prevent what appeared to be a mutiny by uniformed soldiers - who expressed their anger, over not accessing their money, on foreign exchange peddlers and traders.
And while Zimbabwe sinks deeper into a pit of destruction, Mugabe has refused to live up to the signed promise of a unity government that was lauded as the end to the country's combined crises.
After a meeting with MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, Prime Minister Odinga on Thursday said that power-sharing in Zimbabwe is 'dead' and "will not work with a dictator who does not really believe in power-sharing." Odinga told UK news agency the BBC that if Mugabe were totally isolated, he would have no choice but to quit as President.
"Therefore it's time for African governments to take decisive action to push him out of power," said Odinga.
Odinga's comments have been reported as a signal of the 'ramping up' of pressure against Mugabe, but doubts have also been raised about the Prime Minister's ability to translate his comments into action. Human rights activist and chair of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, Elinor Sisulu, explained on Thursday that while Odinga has in the past made similar strong statements against Mugabe, "there has never been a strong response from other leaders, only a negative response from Mugabe himself."
Sisulu said the "stumbling block" in the way of action from African leaders was the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the meditation efforts of former South African President Thabo Mbeki. She argued that an independent mediator would be crucial if Odinga's call falls of deaf ears.
Meanwhile South Africa's government has called an urgent ministerial meeting on the food and health crisis in Zimbabwe. Government spokesman Themba Maseko on Thursday said South Africa and SADC could not just stand by and do nothing when "people are beginning to die of starvation." President Kgalema Motlanthe is expected to meet with ministers to look at how South Africa could work with neighbouring countries, donors and aid agencies to address "the urgent need for food and other humanitarian needs," Maseko said.
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I suppose the Kenyan has been "Bushed," the lessons of the neo-con misadventure in Iraq, notwithstanding.
The riposte from ZANU/PF must be "bring it on" to the Kenyan who, I suppose, knows nada of international law.
Yes sort of like the EU with Georg Haider, Milosevic and others. When you have a rogue leader in your midst you are compelled to get rid of him as he will only bring everyone down to his level. He will destabilize all the countries around him, thus needs to be told to step down.
No, pal: you need a better analogy.
Moreover, may I suggest you read the charter and related documents of the African Union to get a proper perspective on what is about to engulf the region, if the ignorant Kenyan's OPINION were heeded by level headed leaders in the region.
Personally, I thought the analogy was fine. We're seeing the problems with Mugabe's Zimbabwbe spilling into neighbouring regions, with the outbreak of Cholera, plus the many Zimbabweans fleeing the oppresive regime. Why should other countries share the burdon of Mugabe's madness?
Better analogy, why. Ok then Idi Amin. What is about to engulf the region, that is obvious, cholera, hunger, power outs, revolution by the masses against hypocritical despots. I would refrain from calling Odinga ignorant, he is one of the leaders in Kenya and has the right to voice his concerns to the region especially when it will probably affect his country. Belive it or not Mugabe is the laughing stock of Sub-Saharan Africa, their leader may fear Mugabe going, but that is for their own selfish ends not that they actualy care for him.
I guess the new better is worse, ocean wide off base. Idi Amin? Please!
Time will tell what would engulf the region; I am not a prophet; maybe you are. In anycase, I don't give a rat's tail about prophesy.
A few points: Mugabe is not a dictator, period. It is understandable that MT and his epigoni would like to hang that silly tag on him.
You may refrain from calling Odinga "ignorant." Your refrain, however, is groundless.
Accordingly, I reiterate my averment: Odinga is ignorant of the laws and regulations of the African Union and international public law.
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I salute Odinga and Khama for seeing the light and indeed standing up for fellow Africans. As Zimbabweans we trusted Mugabe but the past ten years we realised he was a confused despot who does not believe in political change. AS you have stood against him it won’t be long that Kenya will be accused of training militia to assasinate him. Mugabe and his advisors are pure evil and they have no solution on how to rescue this country from the quagmire they have created. It’s so sad to see a leader mourning about his travel bans and venting this to ordinary Zimbabweans or to the opposition. Mugabe is a practised manipulator and uses the government controlled media to scapegoat everyone who opposes him. He tries to portray the west as failing Zimbabwe while he knows that he is the failure. I believe all Africans will start to see him as the problem. I salute you once again and may GOD bless you for seeing and caring about Zimbabweans. We shall fight to restore our dignity in the world but we need your support as we are faced with an evil person.