Monday 2 February 2009

Update on Zimbabwe

More than 33 000 people around the world refused to eat yesterday in protest over South Africa's support for Robert Mugabe!

Now don't get me wrong, when I say we support Robert Mugabe, I don't mean the average citizen of South Africa, I mean the South African Government! I often wonder how the "powers that be" in South Africa sleep at night when they spend their days supporting a man who is not only a dictator, but also the one to blame for so much suffering and death in Zimbabwe.

He (his party) kidnaps, tortures and murders anyone who stands against him - We have first-hand testimony of this happening on a daily basis in Zimbabwe and yet South Africa's official stand is one of "quiet diplomacy"! Quiet diplomacy??? There is nothing diplomatic about allowing thousands upon thousands of deaths while the President of Zimbabwe grows richer and fatter by the day!

Why is it that the "Superpowers" around the world do nothing to help Zimbabwe? Many of us in South Africa believe that the world stands by and does nothing simply because Zimbabwe has nothing left to offer - it is a desperately poor country; it cannot even manage to feed its own people let alone clothe or house them..

Why then should the rest of the world care? Perhaps if there was oil in Zimbabwe countries would rush in with their armies to "save" the dying and “rescue” the oppressed!

1 comment:

Kristin said...

Educate me if I'm wrong...but wasn't Mugabe instrumental in helping to end the genocide in Rwanda? I always thought he was painted as a "hero" in that instance? Am I confusing him with someone else?

Also, you are absolutely right on why no other superpowers step in...there is nothing there for them to exploit. Sadly, humanitarian missions all too often are only for nations that have something of value.