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East/Subsaharan Africa
Zimbabwe situation deteriorating
2003-04-16
Zimbabwe has failed to respond to appeals for reform from the Commonwealth and its situation has worsened since suspension from the group of mainly ex-British colonies, according to a report leaked today. "Overall the general political, economic and social situation in Zim-Bob-We has deteriorated since March 2002," said an internal report by Don McKinnon, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, obtained and published by Britain's opposition Conservative Party.
Gee, they noticed.
The report was drawn up around the time last month that the Commonwealth decided to extend a one-year suspension of Zimbabwe at least until December a sanction which has caused bitter divisions among many of the group's 54 nations.
"'Ere, now! Yew can't sanction him just because he's a bloody-handed dictator! Yew gotta wait 'til he does somefin'!"
The original suspension of President Robert Mugabe's government came in protest at proven alleged election rigging and the massive seizure of white owned farms for kleptocratic governement ministers landless blacks. In his report, McKinnon said Mugabe had completely ignored the Commonwealth's calls for political dialogue and national reconciliation, and the promotion of "transparent, equitable and sustainable measures" for land reform. Government and law and order institutions were still functioning, but "under considerable pressure and constraints, with selective enforcement in many cases amid widespread allegations of abuses," the report said. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change "faces death considerable harassment, pressure and politically motivated violence and intimidation," it added.
As in, they're being murdered.
The government's stealing "chaotic and destabilising" land theft programmes have hit food production and heightened unemployment, causing "a persistent downward trend" for the economy, it also said.
Bob has managed to combine the worst aspects of socialism, tribalism, and bullheadedness. This might qualify him for a tenured chair at Berkeley!
The Commonwealth split over Zimbabwe has appeared to pit white nations against African and Asian ones in the seven-decade-old group which joins almost one third of the world's countries with 1,7 billion people. On one side, African kleptocratic heavyweights South Africa and Nigeria, for example, believe Mugabe's government has recorded enough progress over the past year in land reform, human rights and democracy to warrant re-admission to the Commonwealth.
I think they're regarding any movement at all as "progress," regardless of direction. In this case, collapse represents movement, so it must be a good thing...
But Mugabe's opponents such as Australia say that stance is a betrayal of Commonwealth principles, pointing to the treason trial of opposition figures and harsh media and security laws.
Too bad an African leader in the Commonwealth couldn't say that, it might penetrate.
Mugabe accuses former colonial ruler Britain and others of perpetuating "neo-colonial" attitudes towards Zimbabwe and argues land reforms are a bid to correct a colonial injustice that left 70% of the best agricultural land in the hands of whites making up less than 1% of the population.
There's a right way and a wrong way to do land reform. Bob went the wrong way for the worst reasons.
Zimbabwe is grappling with its worst political and economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1980, when Mugabe seized power took over as leader, with record unemployment and inflation and acute shortages of fuel and foreign currency.
Posted by:Steve White

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Posted by: Denny   2003-04-16 21:32:42  

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Posted by: TJ   2003-04-16 15:48:00  

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Posted by: Old Patriot   2003-04-16 14:52:12  

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