SW Radio Africa (London)
25 September 2009
There have been mixed reactions to CNN's interview with Robert Mugabe on Thursday. This was Mugabe's first interview with a foreign news agency for at least five years. Some observers thought interviewer Christiane Amanpour missed a few tricks and failed to push the Zimbabwean leader on several of his answers.
In some cases it appeared her producers had not fully researched the facts of the situation in Zimbabwe. For example she thought Operation Murambatsvina was the forced removal of farm workers, which gave Mugabe an opportunity to correct her.
But for many Zimbabweans in the Diaspora and at home, this was a rare opportunity to see a glimpse of Mugabe in a different setting, after years of unchallenged interviews by the state controlled media.
People posted varying views on the social networking site Facebook, with one angry Zimbabwean writing: "Christiane's interview with Mugabe was so badly researched, it's shocking. She went into that interview armed with nothing more than hearsay, old rehashed accusations about Mugabe that he learnt to easily fob off years ago... There was so much Christiane could have asked. Yet, she pressed on with the line of enquiry preferred by western journalists, a line that allows Mugabe to cast himself as the liberator of black people."
But another Zimbabwean wrote: "I did not see any winner in it. Zimbabweans should not be led in their know-how about Zimbabwe by a CNN interview. A man who claims there is enough food in Zimbabwe is just not normal and no matter (how) eloquent - he is still a liar. "
Amanpour did manage to catch Mugabe off balance in some parts of the interview, most notably on the question of his victimisation of Roy Bennett. The 85 year old leader seemed flustered and could hardly get his words out when asked to clarify the charges facing the MDC Deputy Minister of Agricultural appointee. He responded: "Charged with -- with having, you know, tried to put -- I think he was found responsible for -- that's the allegation. The allegation is that he's responsible for organizing arms of war against Zimbabwe. ... and -- and -- and that this -- these are the charges that are being made on the face of them."
Strangely Amanpour followed up by saying: "Well, we'll obviously have to ask him about that. Mr. Mugabe, that's certainly the first I'm hearing of it, and we will, obviously, put that to them."
Rashweat Mukundu, the programmes manager for the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Regional Secretariat, wrote: "Amanpour stated clearly that her Rhodesian journalists friends, some of them ex-Rhodesian soldiers, really enjoyed the first ten years of Mugabe's rule. In those ten years, Mugabe presided over the massacre of thousands of Ndebeles who happened to support an opposition party and belong to an ethnic group other than his. It is, therefore, wrong for CNN to say Zimbabwe's crisis is a post-2000 phenomenon and only so because Mugabe started grabbing farms from white farmers."
Writing for the New Zimbabwe website, Mukundu said: "Amanpour thus sunk into a familiar tune that Mugabe was well prepared for, giving a full lecture of history which Amanpour was, again, unprepared for. Statistics are there all over the internet on how Mugabe's government abused donor funds and resettled farmers sank more into poverty. Mugabe's views were never seriously challenged."
Other observers say that for an 85 year old, Mugabe looked young, fresh and was alert, although as usual he lacked any sense of remorse. His stance throughout was to deny everything and he refused to accept any responsibility for his actions.
Once again he rejected the fact that his disastrous policies resulted in the destruction of the country's economy and blamed the crisis on targeted sanctions imposed by western countries and, of course, on another of his favourites, the drought.
He refused to say if he was going to stand in the next election and denied any knowledge of the fact that up to 4 million Zimbabweans had left the country, a third of the population.
He also denied losing in last year's election and that white farmers were being hounded out of the country. But then he contradicted himself by saying they were being deliberately hounded off the land because 'historically they had a debt to pay' and he described white Zimbabweans as 'citizens by colonisation'.
When it came to the question on the effect of the land grab on black farm workers he made it sound as though they had three options - to stay on the farm under the new owner, be repatriated to their land of origin, or be resettled by the government. As all Zimbabweans know, the farm workers have been some of the most brutalised people in Zimbabwe and most are now completely destitute and on the edge of starvation.
A Facebooker concluded: "After it's all said and done, Mugabe said himself that only God can remove him and I think that is what's going to happen. Only thing is he's going to wish he had stepped down voluntarily coz when the Almighty brings you down....ehe!"
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mrzphl, we give too mush credit to western media which is so biased toward all things African. THe SW Radio and BBC are among the worst reporters on Africa. Always reporting on what is wrong to a point that most even handed people have stopped depending on the BBC on Africa. The business people I met are shocked at the desparate between what UK papers write about Zimbabwe and what they see when they arrive.
It does not matter whether one is on the right or left, most news on Africa are just toilet paper news. All news reporting in the western world is polarized either on the left or right.
Thank God communication thru computers have made Africans wise to see the absolutely rubbish which is being reported on their countries.
SW Radio, 10,000 miles in London claims to be better than local Zimbabwean papers. To that I say rubbish!! How can one trust white Rhodesian farmer supported Radio station in London. MAY I REMIND YOU THAT IT WAS RADIO RWANDA THAT CALLED FOR THE KILLING OF A MILLION PEOPLE IN RWANDA. I FEAR SUCH MURDER CALLS COULD BE MADE BY SW RADIO in Zimbabwe!!!!!
Phiri, to suggest that SW radio will call for the murders of 1 million Zimbabweans is just ridiculous. How stupid and deluded do you have to be to make such a comment? I expect that from Takunya, but not from you.
Awt;
SW Radio is a criminal station that should never be allowed to broadcast. Just listen and read the hate speech and articles they churn out everyday. Their aim is to see Zimbabweans fighting each other like what the owners of the Radio Rwanda did before the genocide in that country.
They are the same people behind SW Radio. Zvino manyangira yaona; Zimbabweans are cleverer. We will not fight each other because everybody in Zimbabwe knows which hidden hand is behind SW Radio. It is an enemy radio station being funded by MI6 and CIA as well as the Rhodesia lobby.
A former colonizer and an imperialist can never be friends of the people of Zimbabwe because they are for their interests and not the interests of the people of Zimbabwe. What are their interests - seeing us fighting each other and meanwhile they loot our wealth and resources while we are at each other's throat.
Now they will fail just as they have failed before because the education and confidence that President gave to us has enlightened us so much so that we are able to easily see through their machinations.
"SW Radio is a criminal station that should never be allowed to broadcast."
- yeah... democracy and free speach is a bitch isnt it! haha
Mr Awt-Independent, Broadcasting is My speciality. My people broadcast my Good News all the time and just when Satan thinks he's winning at the end of time, My Archangel, Gabriel, will broadcast to all the Earth in one mighty word. NOW. All Earth will hear this without the need of radios or TV's, and all My people will be called up to Me to meet Me in the heavens. I even broadcast the fact My Son's birth in the heavens in the form of a conjunction of planets which looked like a very bright star. How's that for Broadcasting.
I was not surprised by the interview. The left wing media in this country is known for their inability to check their facts or do any research. Bob the Tsotsi had Amanpour where he wanted her.
i love amnapour but when she interview president mugabi i am anoyed with her because she is not calling him president mugabei pls amanpur tel to your iran president to behave good because you are an iranian you are refugi in america that is why the give you passport pls respect for everybody because president mugabi he is not your mate he is african head of state he is intelegent and agood leader pls pls think two ways when you speak with our leader
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She could have asked him some tougher question and been better prepared. Despite that Mugabe still managed to make a fool of himself. Everytime he mentions 'illegal economic sanctions' the whole world knows there are no sanctions. Everytime he mentions 'illegal regime change' the whole world knows he lost the election by a landslide. Everytime he blames 'the west' for the mess Zimbabwe is in everyone knows it's because of Zanu-PFs incompetence and corruption. He knows he's not fooling anyone yet he continues to play the fool. I almost feel sorry for the old man.