By Sarah Logan
It was with disbelief that I read Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s recent demands for an apology from the EU for the sanctions placed on him and his inner circle since Zimbabwe’s disputed 2002 presidential elections. The thought of him demanding such an apology is hilarious, apart from being downright outrageous. However, as much as his childish tirade is amusing, it is also deeply frightening as it shows just how far out of reality Mugabe is now living.
Mere months after sending Prime Minister Tsvangirai on an overseas aid-seeking trip, he is once more ranting against the supposed interference by the very same countries Zimbabwe is begging aid from. Speaking to his party’s youth wing on the EU’s upcoming visit to Zimbabwe, he implored, “Why are there sanctions? Why are our people being punished? It is because the imperialists want our heritage,” giving a primary example of how Mugabe is able to twist facts to show himself as the innocent victim in the situation, while simultaneously sowing hate of the West. First and foremost, they are targeted sanctions: travel bans and the freezing of assets belonging to Mugabe and his cronies — designed so as to not further punish the people of Zimbabwe, but rather to affect only those who have played significant roles in the collapse of the economy, the mismanagement of the country and the violation of the human rights of its citizens, and, furthermore, he knows full well why there are sanctions on him, even if he doesn’t believe they are deserved. The anger I feel in seeing him paint himself as a victim is only partly compensated for by the evil joy I feel in realising that the sanctions have succeeded in impinging on his happiness.
He ranted to the crowd, “Who said the British and the Americans should rule over others? That’s why we say down with you. We have not invited these bloody whites. They want to poke their nose into our affairs. Refuse that.” (This was, without doubt, actually said in Shona as one of Mugabe’s favoured phrases, “Pasi!” is so much more glorious than it’s English equivalent of “down with you”). I don’t much mind his anti-white attitude, partly because his anti-West ramblings are now so repeated and predictable that they have lost their sting, but I do still find his apparent double-standards completely unbelievable. It is undeniable that the West has grievously wronged Zimbabwe in the past, giving Mugabe just cause to insult them, but to do so when they are feeding your people is audacious. I, too, am a patriotic Zimbabwean and would prefer the West to interfere as little as possible in my country, but I am also a firm believer in not biting the hand that is feeding you and when Mugabe is once more feeding his own people, then he can talk, but for now he should just zip it.
Having such sanctions restricting you must be rather ego-crushing, as you discover that although you are the head of an independent African nation, there are those who are higher than you still, and who are able to seize your assets and dictate to you where you may and may not go. Getting them removed is vital to his dignity, but I can’t help wondering whether his desperation to have them lifted has been due perhaps to his wife incessantly nagging him for a shopping spree at Harrods. After all, she’s been limited to the Far East for several years now, and with their displeasure at her assaulting journalists there, the Far East has no doubt lost its appeal somewhat.
Either way, the EU has said that it is not yet prepared to lift the sanctions on Zimbabwe, with the current EU chair, Sweden’s Prime Minister, Fredrik Reinfeldt, emphasising that “[i]t is not the restrictions that are creating problems in Zimbabwe, it is the mismanagement … not respecting of human rights”. Mugabe, in a seemingly uncharacteristic lack of strategic insight, seems to have self-sabotaged his chances of getting the sanctions lifted by demanding an apology for them before the EU has even really considered lifting them.
I am uncertain why other SADC leaders are so supportive of having the sanctions against Mugabe and his cronies lifted. South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma believes that the removal of such sanctions would speed up Zimbabwe’s recovery, and his sentiments are presumably shared by fellow SADC leaders, but I am unable to see how this could be so. Hopefully their motivations in this situation will be revealed, but in the meantime, I will be watching the outcome of the EU’s visit to Zimbabwe with much anticipation, and will continue to wonder when Mugabe will finally be certified insane.
Sarah Logan is a Zimbabwean currently living in South Africa. She is a lawyer and writer who is passionate about social justice and red wine (not necessarily in that order). She yearns for good governance in Africa and plans world domination during the ad breaks in day-time TV.
Mugabe is racist against blacks so it doesn’t having you or anyone else try to spread propaganda about Mugabe being anti-white! Many white businessmen and women arecollaborating with Mugabe and his cronies (not to mention that they are benefiting handsomely from that). Black Zimbabweans have suffered the most since the collapse of Zimbabwe’s economy. Yes, many white Zimbabweans (including farmers) are struggling but a lot of them have had it relatively easy compared to their black counterparts. The very South Africa whose ‘silent diplomacy’ everyone is ranting about has taken good care of white Zimbabweans and some of them have obtained SA citizenship quite easily whilst their black counterparts (highly educated as they are) are struggling to make it). Please, please( I know that ordinary readers are given a chance to write on this site and you’re obviously one of them), I would like to advise you to check your facts first and try to write as objectively as possible instead of adopting that victim mentality (whites being mistreated in Africa ect). It doesn’t matter what Mugabe said; ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS and so far it seems his hatred and cruelty is directed at his black countrywomen and men NOT whites! Got it? Good.
I very much doubt that Mugabe is insane. He is ruthless, greedy, murderous and cares nothing for his people. All he cares about is power and to stay away from the court in the Hague.
Remember who he is talking to – his mindless supporters who hang on his every word and believe as do his supporters in the ANC and SADEC that it is the West and whites who caused the collapse of Zimbabwe.
If Mugabe had to return all the money that he has stolen from his people, it may well be that they won’t need any handouts from the West.
The West and most countries are sick and tired of being blamed for anything in Zimbabwe but are held in high esteem by Mugabe when it comes to filling the begging bowl and saving his butt.
Mugabe should hand for his crimes and his supporters should wake up to the reality as to his status – criminal – murderer, thief and racist.
Why, oh why, are certain SADC leaders co-spin doctors with Mugabe in the sanctions-against-Zimbabwe myth?
It’s no different to Vorster supporting Ian Smith, but not even that lasted forever in the days when world gave a damn about southern Africa.
Phillipa – I really think you’ve taken 1 line out of the above passage and blown it out of context completely. There is no race issue here whatsoever. I think Mugabe’s hatred and cruelty have gone out to all Zimbabwean people black, white and all other colours. As to which economic group suffered most, no doubt, as always, it is the poor. I think Mugabe is possibly the most selfish, self-centered and egotistical being I’ve yet heard of & I don’t think colour enters into his eyes, its more: “Who do I need to further my greedy ends, and who don’t I need.”.
Lets try stop labling things racist at every turn. Got it? Good.
Phillipa – I agree that black people have suffered considerably more than white people have. I did not say that they hadn’t. It was a mere comment on Mugabe’s mention of the West, not a generalised statement of suffering in Zimbabwe.
Peter – I think its rather offensive that you called Mugabe’s supporters ‘mindless’. Many of them are very intelligent, but years of ZANU-PF propaganda have left them vulnerable to Mugabe’s opinions.
Sheesh Phillipa! “Pasi!” is something Mugabe screams in every speech, so mentioning it is hardly subjective! It’s a bit difficult writing about Mugabe without mention race, don’t you think? It seems you are the one lacking objectivity.
Logan is mystified as to why Zuma and his cronies support the lifting of sanctions against Mugabe and his cronies… -hello?
She apparently lives in liberal lala-land (or red wine land) if she hasn’t twigged that the ANC won’t change its spots. Liberation leaders supports liberation leaders, one hand washes the other.
I absolutely agree with gumrol. Of course there many more black Zimbabweans who are suffering. Such stats come out at every turn because of the country’s demographics. It was often said that there were even more blacks fighting for Smith than whites. Granted, the army was a job for many but that’s the nature of the country’s demographics even when the white pop was at its max. As for now, Phillipa, there simply aren’t many whites left there to suffer and there are many black people in the firing line to suffer.
To quote Mercedes Sayagues a few years ago – when there were probably triple the number of whites as there are now – “there are more elephants than whites in Zimbabwe”.
You really have jumped on the race bandwagon at a non-existent opportunity. Got it? Good!
The next moment those “bloody whites” of the EU delegation were welcome with “open arms.” One needs to look beyond the rhetoric to see that Western aid and assistance is actually required at the moment and is reluctantly being solicited.
white people are the ones commenting a lot about mugabe being bad bla bla he is a racist,murderer bla bla .but nobody talks about the injustice the white folks do to the blacks for those who have been to south africa to places like east london, cape town u will see few black or no blacks at all the ones you see a housemaids or garden boys but the same country is a african state where the majority of the population is black you will be completely insane not to see injustice there. if you go to any city in the united kingdom you will see white people dominating as it is the norm since it is their country they a the one in charge of the resource why can such a scenario exist in africa thats what mugabe is trying to do you dont have to be are visionary to notice this reply if you have are different opinion
” First and foremost, they are targeted sanctions: travel bans and the freezing of assets belonging to Mugabe and his cronies ”
And the government of Zimbabwe. ZDERA freezes the government’s credit lines, and has since early 2002. ZDERA is not ‘targeted’ at ‘assets belonging to Mugabe and his cronies’.
I quote Section 4C:
SEC. 4. SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY.
(c) MULTILATERAL FINANCING RESTRICTION- … the Secretary of the Treasury shall instruct the United States executive director to each international financial institution to oppose and vote against–
(1) any extension by the respective institution of any loan, credit, or guarantee to the Government of Zimbabwe; or
(2) any cancellation or reduction of indebtedness owed by the Government of Zimbabwe to the United States or any international financial institution.
(Source: Govtrack.us – http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=s107-494 )
Notice that “the Government of Zimbabwe”, not cronies of Mugabe, is mentioned TWICE. Also notice that this section is called “Multilateral Financing Restriction”, not “Unilateral Travel Restriction”.
So which are these multilateral finance institutions? Well they are the very banks that held Zimbabwe’s credit lines. And you can see the effect:
1997 Fast Track Landreform
1999 Creation of the MDC
2002 Introduction of ZDERA
2003 high inflation becomes hyperinflation
In other words if anything caused anything, it was ZDERA that caused hyperinflation in Zimbabwe.
Justice, Mugabe has trashed Zimbabwe so badly that few people are lucky enough to have gardener/domestic jobs, whether their bosses are black or white. I know a black Zim guy in my street who works as a gardener having once had a middle class job in Bulawayo and he’s only in SA in desperation to survive. That’s an eample of how Mugabe has freed his people … sent people with decent jobs, proudly serving their post-independence societies to lives of being gardeners across the border.
Justice I am a black Zimbabwean and I can tell you that Mugabe hates the blacks more than the whites. The farms have long been taken from the whites, the multi nationals chased away, but still the majority of the blacks own nothing. The ordinary black man has no chance of owing a car, a house or other things you as a black SOuth African takes for granted. Most whites that remain are still generally better off than the black man, they are also able to gain entry into countries overseas than the blacks can. It is the black that suffers from Mugabe that is why many are in South Africa and other countires. Mugabe has killed far more blacks than whites in Zimbabwe. So I get upset when naive black South Africans cheer for Mugabe as a champion of black empowerment. Nothing like that exists, only a few hundred Zanu blacks have gained from the land and mine takeovers. The rest live in poverty and will continue to do so thanks to Mugabe.
Phillipa Lip, I hope you read what “Black Zimbabwean” had to say. Got it? Good!
Al, are you crazy? Black Zimbabwean is saying exactly wht I’ve been saying!
” only a few hundred Zanu blacks have gained from the land and mine takeovers. ”
Table 2. Beneficiaries of the Land Reform Programme by Province, May 2003
http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/y9730e/y9730e00.htm#6
A1 205 823
A2 28 665
Gee, I hope I don’t have to keep posting the same information over and over. Hundreds of thousands of people, not ‘a few hundred Zanu blacks’, have benefited from land reform. Over 234,000 by 2003, over 314,000 today. The data baove is from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.
This is why reversing land reform will lead to a major civil war. Hundreds of thousands of Africans would have to be turned off their land, to reinstate the colonial era land ownership pattern of a few thousands (4500) rhodesians.
So before starting to call eachother ‘crazy’ or patronizing one another, perhaps it is best to first become familiar with the facts.
No, Phillipa, “Black Zimbabwean’s” comment does not have the anti-white spin that you give at any opportunity.