June 27 has come and gone and the result of the election is as many had predicted – an utterly fraudulent and farcical presidential election, culminating in a hasty and undignified inauguration of Robert Mugabe for his sixth term against the will of the people of Zimbabwe.
We applaud Kenya for its principled stance at this week’s AU meeting, where it called for the African body to suspend Zimbabwe forthwith – until such time as credible elections are held and a legitimate, people’s government is installed in line with the will of the people of Zimbabwe.
Despite Mugabe’s unashamed challenge to other African leaders about their pointing dirty fingers at him we dared to hope that even at this late stage the rulers of Africa will have the courage to follow through with firm action against the geriatric tyrant. Africa has had far more than its share of thieving, murderous despots – Amin, Mobutu, Mengistu, Taylor, Bonye, Banda to name a few – the list is embarrassingly and tragically long.
Surely, now, in this the 21st century, decades after the last colonial power departed ignominiously from Africa’s shores, we can lay that ghost to rest. We no longer need to sit by and watch African women and children being raped, starved and killed under the pretext of fighting colonialism.
Colonialism in Africa is dead and buried – there is a new mood now. How long will we allow this tired ghost to shackle us to desperation and submission? In fear of the label of colonialism, British and other Western governments tiptoe around Africa and its horrors. Africans live in fear of this imaginary evil.
This excuse allows both African and Western governments to remain inactive. This misdiagnosis of the real issues at hand – greed, corruption, tyranny, megalomania – ensures that the people of Zimbabwe will continue to be thrashed and cowed into submission. The beatings and murders will continue and the desperate cries of a nation will ring out until African leaders finally have the courage to bury the ghost of colonialism and denounce their autocratic brother.
The nauseating African problem, African solution’ rhetoric should be seen for what it truly is. A cop out. Africa does not agree that there is a problem. Africa is unwilling to deal with the problem and the world must become tougher if anything will ever change in Zimbabwe.
Word For Today:
But I will remove far from you the destroyers army and drive it into a land barren and desolate —– He (the Lord) has done great things (The Lord will have destroyed the invaders) Fear not O land, be glad and rejoice! For the Lord has done great things. The pastures spring up and are green, the vine yields its full strength, rejoice over the early and the latter rain, vats full of grain, grape juice and oil, AND I WILL RESTORE FOR YOU THE YEARS THAT THE LOCUST HAS EATEN, and you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you. And MY PEOPLE WILL NEVER BE PUT TO SHAME.
I am the Lord your God and there is none else. MY PEOPLE WILL NEVER BE PUT TO SHAME. – JOEL Chap 2 v 20 Amplified version