Firstly, Mugabe is not elected to be representing the country; secondly, he has mismanaged the country’s economy and left Zimbabwe bankrupt and has no moral authority to talk on issues of food security.
I flew into Rome on a the eve of the summit with a number of anti-Mugabe protesters from all over Europe, mainly Zimbabweans living in exile. The quintissential fanfare that characterises Mugabe’s foreign visits was at play once again. As soon as journalists saw Mugabe and his entourage about to enter the Conference venue they juxtaposed themselves in strategic positions to get a good glimpse and shot of the ageing dictator. His bodyguards tried to pin one of the photographers to the floor. It was reminiscent of the brutality with which the Zimbabwean state security treats journalists and political activists at home and away. Africa has had egregious dictators such as Mobutu and Banda but none of these men made a fool of themselves in their twilight years by gate-crashing international gatherings where they were persona non grata..
Mugabe has always churned out anachronistic anti-Western rhetoric at international gatherings which have further ostracised Zimbabwe from the international community. He defended the chaotic land programme whose objective, everyone knows, was to placate his acolytes and further strengthen his grip on power. He parroted the usual mantra of blaming the USA , UK and their allies. Mugabe is the one who destroyed agriculture through his imprudent expropriation of white-owned farms for his political expediency. The land grabbing by Zanu PF big wigs, who have no clue of farming business, is very disconcerting. Blaming the West for Zimbabwe’s ills is a red herring to deflect attention from his 28 years of misrule. Mugabe lamented at the cutting off of credit lines by the IMF and the World Bank. Doesn’t Mugabe know these financial institutions don’t give loans to corrupt, obdurate and illegitimate regimes that cling to power, engaging in unbridled profligracy and printing money which has seen the rate of inflation soar to 2 000 000%?
It was nauseating to see Mugabe and his delegation at the summit. He talked about climate change, among other things, when he took the podium. What can Zimbabwe tell the world on climate change when it can’t even feed itself and has a paralysed economy? The American and British ministers were conspicuous by their absence, during Mugabe’s address showing that people no longer want to hear vacuous speeches from this senile old man..
It was very fitting that Mugabe and his delegation were left out on the dinner hosted by the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Bellusconi and Ban Ki Moon. One can infer that the world is getting tired of seeing Mugabe’s face at gatherings where he is least expected and bound to cause controversy. Most of the world leaders have come and gone and yet Mugabe still clings to power without any remorse for the millions of people starving under his misrule. The UN has had three Secretary Generals and America has elected three Presidents all the time Mugabe has been in power. He has become a sore in the neck for everybody. I think Africa has never had such a recalcitrant dictator, but guess what, if it was in West Africa , where the ethnic divide is crucial in politics one of the Army Generals could have come up with a solution.
Post published in: Opinions