President Robert Mugabe continues to indulge in his favourite pastime blaming scapegoats for the disastrous ramifications of his misrule. Mugabe took his paranoid ranting to another level while attending the Global 2009 Dialogue in Uganda last week. The Zanu (PF)-controlled state daily, The Herald, quoted the 85-year-old head of state as railing agThundered the octogenarian: I dont know whether this creature is for better or worse, but in our country we have seen a situation where they have exceeded, really, their terms of reference and perhaps we might have to reconsider the advisability of having NGOs. What cheek for Mugabe, who is into his 30th year of misrule and is renewing efforts to cling on to power, to accuse anyone else of overstepping bounds.
The good thing is that Zimbabweans are not blind to the fact that most of these organisations have done sterling humanitarian work and their presence has meant the difference between life and death for thousands of the Mugabe regimes victims. There is a sadistic streak in the onslaught against the NGO community, which can only be the
result of Mugabe and his party taking umbrage at anyone coming to the rescue of the victims their tyranny.
During his endless foreign trips, Mugabe loves to grandstand and deceive audiences about realities in Zimbabwe. His outpourings in Uganda were no exception. His claim that the coalition government was working well, as demonstrated by the fact that the Zimbabwean delegation had come as the inclusive government, betrays his interest
in cosmetic rather than meaningful change.
Turning to sanctions, Mugabe said he did not understand why the West insisted on keeping its illegal sanctions regime in force when Zimbabweans had condemned them and endorsed the inclusive government. Really?
Zimbabweans cannot be fooled by such half-truths. They know the circumstances that led to the imposition of sanctions and why the measures have been repeatedly renewed. The people have not lost sight of the fact that the restrictions imposed on the regime have remained in force because of the regimes intransigent refusal to address the issue of human rights abuses, the absence of the rule of law, the crushing of dissent, the muzzling of the media, the selective interpretation and enforcement of the law, rampant corruption, electoral violence and rigging and many other abuses and excesses.
Mugabes abuse of power has lasted for so long that there can be no Zimbabwean who has remained untouched. This includes even those enjoying the benefits of Mugabes massive patronage network. As is the case with the AIDS pandemic, there is no Zimbabwean who does not have a relative, friend, neighbour, colleague and, above all, fellow citizen who has been victimised through violence, Operation Murambatsvina, police brutality or pauperisation through Zeroridsation. Are these the people Mugabe claims have condemned sanctions?
Word for Today
For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth
come knowledge and understanding. He holds
victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to
those whose walk is blameless, for he guards
the course of the just and protects the way of hisfaithful ones. Proverbs 2; 6-8