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Zimbabwe: Africa Should Kick This Goon Out!

Joshua Kiregu

11 December 2008

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opinion

Kigali — Whatever happened to justice?

What is it about Africa and Leadership?

I would love if somebody helped me to answer these questions?

I would like to officially register my full support together with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga and US Secretary of State Condolezza Rice and others in calling for Mugabe's forceful removal from Zimbabwe's helm.

He can cry foul for all I care but the voices of the despairing Zimbabweans drown him out!

Some of you reading this may think I'm overreacting but run through the facts with me:

According to the BBC, Zimbabwe has the world's highest annual rate of inflation - 231,000,000% - and just one in ten adults are believed to have regular jobs.

As we speak there is a major cholera outbreak, a treatable disease, which has already killed 600 Zimbabweans. Others are immigrating to South Africa to get medical attention.

Take note we're talking about cholera not ebola! With basic medicine, access to clean water and proper sanitation you can easily wipe out this disease!

Mugabe's Land Reform policy was evidently poorly thought out and its execution was always going to bring about suffering.

He must have thought he was going to punish the White farm-owners which he did, however, who is now sleeping hungry and living on food aid?

As we speak many people who were not serious about farming have land they cannot work and cannot raise funds to work it.

Zimbabwe is not a country in WAR but right in the heart of the city - professionals are at the point of desperation.

Cutting off of the city's water and bank withdrawal limits are some of the things they are agonizing with.

Harare's two main hospitals are closed due to lack of personnel and raw sewage is running down streets in some parts of the city.

Soldiers once thought to be puppets of the state have also had it. Sights considered impossible are now a reality.

According to a witness report, the other day Harare was treated with the sight of soldiers rioting, ransacking and looting shops. Militias run the show.

Citizens with money in the bank can't access it. A daily withdrawal limit of 500,000 Zimbabwean Dollars can just buy a loaf of bread and little else.

A loaf of bread is 30,000 Z $ (approx. 1 USD) and probably by the time you read this the cost will have risen for prices are changing every 24 hours.

There are shortages of many goods, and it is predicted that half the population will need food aid by the end of the year.

To backtrack a bit to the elections, in the first round in March this year, Mr Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) gained more votes than Mr Mugabe.

But election officials say neither candidate gained the 50% needed for victory, so a run-off was held in June.

Ahead of this, there were numerous, credible reports of systematic attacks against MDC activists.

According to the opposition about 200 were killed, 5,000 abducted and 200,000 forced from their homes. Mr Mugabe said "only God" could remove him from power.

This led Mr Tsvangirai to pull out of the run-off.

He said he wanted to save the lives of his supporters and that if Mr Mugabe would not accept defeat, there was no point in taking part in a sham election.

He took power alright, but the country was ungovernable. He was forced into a power sharing deal of which it raised the hopes of many.

Frankly, I knew this was a nice way to push off the monster amicably. I dare say that at this point the world was willing to let him off for his numerous atrocities the day he stepped down. But now he has just gone off and ruined everything, hasn't he?

The deal has ran aground due to his refusal to let go of some ministries In the meantime, the economy will continue its freefall, as donors and business will not pour money in while Mr Mugabe is solely in charge.

Well this is what I think. This is almost entirely a man-made crisis, created by President Robert Mugabe's government, and his administration stands accused of having done nothing to help.

Mugabe's mantra of blaming the Western sanctions for Zimbabwe's hardship is a clear sign of a lame leader and it is leaving an uncomfortable ring to my ears like a broken record.

Mugabe's spokesman George Charamba said the West was using the cholera outbreak to try to bring down the veteran leader.

Well, who cares?

He is the leader of Zimbabwe, not Gordon Brown nor Ban Ki Moon. As the president he is responsible for everything the government should do for its citizens.

As a continent we have come from far and are still doing so. This is our century. Zimbabwe is key to the greatness of our beloved continent.

Is Mugabe so important that he can abort many a dream? I don't think so.

I urge all African leaders to call for nothing less than his stepping down or else

Zimbabweans gave him a chance through the power sharing deal but he has self-importantly thrown it back to our faces.

We now need to tell him the truth. He is no more important that the ordinary Zimbabwean living on food aid and likely to die any moment from cholera.

I hope people of justice are listening.

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