So Robert Mugabe is still here. He is still running Zimbabwe, he is still buying suits in Hong Kong. He is still causing his country misery, and his so-called war vets are still acting like war criminals. But one thing is new: our government has adopted a new strategy on Zimbabwe. It’s called Necropoliticking. Waiting for the old bastard to die. It’s a long-term strategy.
But when will Robert die? This is a question a lot of people have been asking for a long time now. But unfortunately it doesn’t seem anytime soon. The latest pictures from the Shanghai expo (two finger to you, China for letting him attend) show a man who is old but still in pretty good health. Obviously cancer and horrible things like that don’t always display themselves in a visible manner, so we can’t be 100% sure, but he does look fit. Especially with his gracious wife, Graca on his arm, looking very pretty in pink. Pink is a very popular colour with Zimbabwean ladies. Especially the ones who have to wear maid uniforms south of the Limpopo, because Graca and her hubby have blown the GDP of their country on lavish living for them and their cronies. What must all those ladies be thinking, while they hoover the guest room? … “How the hell did I land up here, didn’t we get liberated 30 years ago???”
Oh well, they shouldn’t worry, our government has a plan. We will wait until he dies. Look, it may mean they have to keep cleaning houses, and their men will have to keep doing the gardens, for the next 30 years, but hey, it also means we won’t have to ask the hard questions. Like when does a liberation hero become a dictator zero? Or how long is too long to stay in power? Those questions are far too close for comfort. We’d rather just keep tiptoeing around, waiting for the old codger to kick the bucket (and hope that he doesn’t kick his country any further into the drain along the way).
You worry too much about problems next door. What have they asked you to do for them? Act only as to solve your own problems unless you can help.
Necropolitics can be passive (waiting for the person to die) or active (helping the person along).
History has many examples of the latter. Julius Caesar, Hendrik Verwoerd (and many in between) to name a few.
I think that the ANC keeps him alive and in power to see how much they can learn from him before he dies and takes his power retaining secrets with him.
Yep, the lamest that I have ever seen the ANC is in it’s handling of the crisis in zimbabwe. If that is any indication of the ANC’s abilities then I think SA is sinking faster than expected.
Squpaezi Gagula – the problem with Zimbabwe is that their problems ultimately become our problems. So it is in our interest to worry about the problems next door.
Are you sure Robert Mugabe is still alive? I heard a theory the other evening while at a dinner party that maybe he is no longer with us. He still looks incredibly young, and has no wrinkles. We estimated his age at about 87 or so. Do his cronies have a puppet that they are using? How about one of those “Ronald Reagan” masks you see in the movies?
Mugabe’s wife is Grace not Graca. Anyway, nice one as always.
Oops, Graca is a bad mistake! That’s Madiba’s wife’s name.
Jonno – you mean like the Riaan Cruywagen robot the SABC is using for Afrikaans news?
This is why we need a media tribunal. a good journalist/writer would write accurately after doing good research on his subject. Is ‘Graca’ accurate and well researched? No! Or you want to link our former first lady, graca, with mugabe and hide behind freedom of expression curtain. Bloody agent
See Chris Roper’s article on the zombie miracle of Shabir Shaik. I suspect the same applies to Uncle Bob. Uncanny. ANC and ZANU PF using witchdoctors now.
Mr. Smith all the things you say about Mugabe may be true but at least black Zimbabweans have their country back. It was morally wrong for whites to possess 97% of the land just as it is morally wrong for white South Africans to possess over 85% of the land.
Mistakes were made in the implementation and management of the land reform program but land reform needed to happen in Zimbabwe. Mr. Smith, I am not a racist and I believe that whites have a place in Zimbabwe and in South Africa but they must learn to share the land. I, as a black American feel that white South Africans are Africans and should be afforded full protection under the constitution just like any other African; however, they should share the land with the native black population.
Thanks for bringing up the question again. It seems that suffering has a short memory in Africa and people can get used to anything.
@Jonno – I have had a similar suspicion for a while now that Mugabe is being paid with an incredible life to be the fall guy by the people who are actually ru(i)ning the country. Those two gentlemen in uniform that always stand behind him, for instance. Of course, to be president in Africa one do need struggle credentials and his is impecable.
@Todd Kidd. Mr Kidd, for information, White Zimbabweans did not own 97% of the land; they owned approx 17% of it, and much of that was bought post 1980 with the OBLIGATORY CERTIFICATE OF ‘NO INTEREST’ ON THE PART OF THE ZANU PF GOVERNMENT.
Land is a funny thing, as you of course know in the US. Some of it is arable and within the arable sector, some is suitable for some crops, some for livestock; some is National Parks, some dedicate to mining, some to cities, some to roads, some to universities and so forth. And so it is in zimbabwe. Sometimes well-connected Black Zimbabweans just want the nice farm house, in place after more than 100 years of hard work; and they want the farms near Harare, not up in the North East. If you want to share the land, white farmers took the arid North East, why not black farmers.
Please do not believe everything you read about Zimbabwe; just because the writer may be a black African, does not mean every word is the truth. Sometimes white people tell the truth also.
Passively waiting? Not a bit of it! Under our de facto glorious leader, Julius Malema the government is very actively marching down the road to ‘Zimbabwe Farm’ as fast as possible. Muzzle the press, nationalise the mines … And for all it’s supposed sophistication, SA society is meekly falling in line. 702 today described Julius as ‘statesmanlike’ for his performance at the youth congress – oh please!
Excellently well said, La Quebecoise.
Phumlani, Graca is a Latin American name for Grace and they are often used interchangeably. If this level of confusion is the intellectual basis of your argument for muzzling the press and declaring journalists as agents (of what?) then we are in for a sad future.
todd kidd, be aware that the likes of Phumlani can become confused by the appeal of your rhetorically correct but factually incorrect claims to truth and might just label you an “agent” as well. Although in your case of misrepresentation of land ownership information a tribunal could be justified. It would be interesting to see how an ANC appointed and directed committee validates “facts” such as La Quebecois’ unpalatable truths.
My point Exactly Sipho, you must learn to say no. You are not able to solve Zimbabwe’s problems even if you were twice as rich. You fell into a trap and your politicians cannot come out now. You think it was your choice to help but the problem was thrust upon you.
You will have to grow up fast. Man your borders, rid yourselves of bribe taking policemen. Keep up to date with who is coming in, from where, for what and for how long. Keep track of illegal immigrants, put them on a register, vet them, check criminal record, diseases, ask questions, make some fact finding trips to Zimbabwe. Do something. Otherwise what you have now is chaos; and again you are not good enough to help Zimbabwe.
Are you gonna help Mozambique next then Nigeria? Oh come on, get over it. Find a way out if you can. If you start now in 5 years you will be free, but if not you are in deep trouble, you might as well take over the country and put yourselves into more problems.
Actually I find it rather offensive that David J Smith should pose such questions about a neighbouring state. It’s disrespectful: “But when will Robert die? This is a question a lot of people have been asking for a long time now. But unfortunately it doesn’t seem anytime soon.” Seriously? What on earth is this? This is way over the top.
Don’t forget though that you people have got 11 official languages.
Nice one. Eleven? Two good. Lost in translation. I’m trying to tell you that you are doing well, if you believe me.
It does not mean however that you are the United Nations.
To be frank with you; it really gets to me when you people keep citing Zimbabwe in your political discourse. What would you do with Zimbabwe?
There’s still unfinished business with Julius by the way. You’ve got your plate full and can’t take on Zimbabwe at the same time; besides we’ve got our own diamonds,to shine.
You may just be beaten to first world status yet, on the continent that is.
Big in the US of A Homer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYDrad2Z82A&feature=related
Please find attached http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6piqr-dOUP4