Dear Editor,
Thanks for your excellent editorial `Zimbabwe’s Continuing Crisis’ (SN 18/06). As you noted, Zimbabwe is in serious problems thanks to its leader Robert Mugabe. The regime is unravelling amidst the collapse of the economy and this has led to increasing repression and stifling of dissent. From a bread basket in and one of the models for Africa in 1980, Zimbabwe has descended into of the most poverty-stricken countries. There is a meltdown in the economy. Unemployment is more than 80%. Official inflation rate is running at 101,000% although economists say it is much higher. A loaf of bread is Z $15 million. One liter of cooking oil is $300 million or about U.S $8.
I never went to Zimbabwe. But I went to South Africa a few times and met with Zimbabweans who are struggling to eke out a living there. They are decent people but they have nothing good to say about their former hero. Zimbabweans told me it is an offence to criticize Mugabe and the charges could include conspiracy to overthrow the comrade leader. I should note that the New York Times reporter was recently locked up in Zimbabwe and subsequently expelled for writing reports critical of the dictator.
The human rights director of an American organization was also arrested and deported. Aid organizations have been forbidden to distribute assistance to the hungry and many have been expelled from the country.
Zimbabwe holds a run off election on June 27 to choose a President. But what is the purpose of an election? The incumbent said he will not hand over power even if he loses.
But he will ensure he does not lose the way our own Forbes Burnham never lost an election after he was appointed Premier in December 1964. Independent human rights observers say Mugabe’s police, soldiers and party militants have orchestrated widespread violence aimed at ensuring Mugabe wins.
Mugabe was a hero in Zimbabwe before he started rigging elections in the 1990s. Now he is viewed as a scoundrel by most of his countrymen. Reports say two-thirds of the population want him out. But the dictator is not prepared to step down.
News Wires reported that Mugabe said he will not yield power to his opponent, Morgan Tsvangirai. The Strongman had said prior to the first round of the election on March 27 that he would not give up power.
Although he lost the Presidential contest as well as the parliamentary elections by lopsided margins, he barefacedly hung on through fraud. He was not worried about the shame.
A fair election does not appear likely and as such the crisis your editorial described will continue.
America, England and the rest of world will not come to the aid of Zimbabweans as long as Mugabe remains in charge and rightly so. Zimbabweans want their dictator to go and so does the rest of the global community.
Yours faithfully
Vishnu Bisram
