Explore Zimbabwe: A Southern African Gem

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the current socio-economic and political situation in Zimbabwe, particularly focusing on the impact of the "land crisis" and the governance of Robert Mugabe. Participants explore historical context, economic challenges, and humanitarian issues, with a mix of personal insights and external references.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Historical
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants describe Zimbabwe's historical context, noting its transition from a "bread basket" to a country facing severe economic challenges, including hyperinflation and high unemployment rates.
  • Others discuss the "land crisis" of 2001, attributing it to Mugabe's policies and the resulting land grabs that have led to economic instability and food shortages.
  • Several contributions highlight Mugabe's governance style, suggesting it is characterized by brutality and a disregard for human rights, with references to historical violence against political rivals.
  • Some participants express concern about the humanitarian crisis, mentioning the impact of food distribution policies and the high rates of orphanhood due to HIV/AIDS.
  • There are discussions about the international community's role, with some suggesting that regime change could be a viable solution, while others question the effectiveness of such measures based on past experiences in other countries.
  • Participants also note the existence of black market currency exchanges as a contributing factor to the economic crisis.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on the causes and implications of Zimbabwe's crisis, with no clear consensus on solutions or the effectiveness of proposed actions. Disagreement exists regarding the portrayal of Mugabe and the international community's response.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include varying levels of awareness among participants about the current situation in Zimbabwe, as well as differing interpretations of historical events and their impacts on the present crisis.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to those studying political science, international relations, humanitarian issues, or African history, as well as individuals seeking to understand the complexities of governance and economic crises in developing nations.

  • #31
I think if you look and see you will find that Mugabe was disliked from before he harmed anyone. The point being that goverments don't give a monkeys who gets hurt of their electorate, they are only concerned with their own 'inter-govermental system' power struggles.
Besides, Mugabe's "Zimbawe" is not the same entity as a modern democracy, it is a sort of African socialist kingdom not much different except in cultural construction to the Asian version currently in use in North Korea.
 
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  • #32
This is sick!
JOHANNESBURG — Only five days before Zimbabwe’s presidential runoff election, the opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai announced Sunday that he was pulling out of the race because armed forces backing President Robert Mugabe have made it clear that anyone who votes for Mr. Tsvangirai faces a real possibility of being killed.

At a news conference, Mr. Tsvangirai, who leads the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, or M.D.C., said he was unwilling to ask the party’s supporters to go to the polls on Friday “when that vote will cost them their lives.”

Mr. Tsvangirai’s decision came on a day when governing party youth militia armed with iron bars, sticks and other weapons beat his supporters as they sought to attend a rally for him in Harare.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/23/world/africa/23zimbabwe.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
 
  • #33
Where is the international community? dictators are all over Africa, why doesn't anyone do anything about it? Where is Mr.Bush and his never-ending calls for democracy? where is the EU? UN? I hope people living in Zimbabwe will find courage to stand up to this regime.
 
  • #34
Who said democracy must be fair?
 
  • #35
DrClapeyron said:
Who said democracy must be fair?

Well if people didn't actually vote him in then it isn't exactly democracy is it? Voting at the point of a gun isn't exactly democratic either.
 
  • #36
AhmedEzz said:
Where is the international community? dictators are all over Africa, why doesn't anyone do anything about it? Where is Mr.Bush and his never-ending calls for democracy? where is the EU? UN?
Currently, the US is probably using the strongest language to condemn Mugabe, and has even called for action from the Security Council. I think it's high time for condemnation of Mbeki as well...and time for some actual intervention from the AU and the UN. I don't know how many AU forces have currently been pledged to Darfur, and how many are available for additional operations.
WASHINGTON (AFP) — Zimbabwe must be held accountable for election violence that drove the opposition to pull out of a presidential run-off, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in a statement Monday.

"In forsaking the most basic tenet of governance -- the protection of its people -- the government of Zimbabwe must be held accountable by the international community," Rice said.

Rice said regional and world leaders much address the mounting violence.

"We call upon the Southern African Development Community, African Union Peace and Security Council, and the United Nations Security Council to take up this issue immediately," she said.

"The United States condemns in the strongest terms the government of Zimbabwe's continuing campaign of violence against its own people," she said, adding that reports of attacks against election monitors were "particularly troubling."

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iOELyPnhJIussTO7brO_HPjr1Pwg
 
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  • #37
That's better but not enough I'm afraid. The people need to move against this government, I feel for them. I know its not easy especially with a violent government such as this one.
 
  • #38
AhmedEzz said:
Where is Mr.Bush and his never-ending calls for democracy? where is the EU? UN?

Sure, send the UN in, but I don't think many countries will be queuing up to invade. I don't see Brown sending the British troops in, for example, since the British public are already pretty sick of losing troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, and Brown is pretty close to losing an election!
 
  • #39
Isn't there anyone interested to 'liberate' Zimbabwe from the 'dictator' ruler? Does it have anything to do with Zimbabwe not having that much oil?!
 
  • #40
AhmedEzz said:
Isn't there anyone interested to 'liberate' Zimbabwe from the 'dictator' ruler? Does it have anything to do with Zimbabwe not having that much oil?!

The problem is there is no guarantee Morgan Tsvangirai wouldn't be just as bad as Mugabe if he gains power. He was once a staunch supporter of Mugabe at a time when many atrocities were being carried out but after losing an internal power struggle he left to form his own party.

From comments he has made it seems the first order of business if Tsvangirai gains power will be revenge so Zimbabweans can look forward to more of the same murder and mayhem but with the roles reversed.
 
  • #41
Mugabe declared himself president again.
 
  • #42
This is really unfortunate for the people of Zimbabwe.

It seems to me like it could have easily been prevented though, since the opposition leader fled because of violence or the threat of violence. USA or UN or AU wouldn't have had to invade the country, they could have just protected the opposition leader and offered him amnesty if he wanted to flee. That way there could be a real possibility for democratic change
 
  • #43
devil-fire said:
This is really unfortunate for the people of Zimbabwe.

It seems to me like it could have easily been prevented though, since the opposition leader fled because of violence or the threat of violence. USA or UN or AU wouldn't have had to invade the country, they could have just protected the opposition leader and offered him amnesty if he wanted to flee. That way there could be a real possibility for democratic change

Tsvangirai was offered refuge, but of course, there's political maneuvering:

Although some African heads of state invited Tsvangirai to leave Zimbabwe, he declined, because his passport is being held by the registrar general's office, where he applied to renew it earlier this month.

An appeal to the High Court to compel the registrar general to issue him a new passport was ruled not urgent, so he is appealing to the Supreme Court, he said.

Tsvangirai said he could easily get a non-Zimbabwean passport, "but that will mean I may not be able to come back into the country. I don't want a situation where I am then treated like a foreigner."

Full article:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/06/30/zimbabwe.monday/index.html

He feels he has to stay and fight, or he will be marginalized.

My heart goes out to the Zimbabwe people.
 
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  • #44
devil-fire said:
This is really unfortunate for the people of Zimbabwe.

It seems to me like it could have easily been prevented though, since the opposition leader fled because of violence or the threat of violence. USA or UN or AU wouldn't have had to invade the country, they could have just protected the opposition leader and offered him amnesty if he wanted to flee. That way there could be a real possibility for democratic change
Wrong.

Tsvangirai staying wouldn't have changed the fact that the run-off was already rigged by ZANU-PF's violent intimidation. Odds are, if he had stayed and competed, he'd have lost, and that would have given the"election" and Mugabe a little more legitimacy.
 
  • #46
  • #48
Gokul43201 said:
In January, Zimbabwean banks started printing 10-million dollar bills.
And today...
Zimbabwe is to introduce a bank-note worth Z$100bn in response to rampant inflation - but the note will barely cover the cost of a loaf of bread.
That's "billion" ... with a B.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7515823.stm
 
  • #49
Gokul43201 said:
And today...That's "billion" ... with a B.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7515823.stm

Zimbabwe Inflation at 2.2 Million Percent

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25721678/

Zimbabwe bank: Figure conservative; some goods up 70 million percent

I can only guess that in a collapsed economy like this, people abandon paper money and go back to a barter system.

Adding to the trouble:

Independent civic groups, meanwhile, report cheap goods already distributed earlier this month to designated shops in provincial towns being sold only to buyers carrying ruling party membership cards.
 
  • #50
sad to say but the racist whites sure ran the place better
 
  • #51
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7589297.stm

BBC correspondent Jonah Fisher, based in neighbouring South Africa, says Ms Coventry is lucky her reward is in American dollars, because a suitcase of Zimbabwean currency would scarcely have bought her a loaf of bread.

Inflation is currently running at 11,000,000% and there are widespread shortages of food and fuel.

I wonder how he managed to do such things when his country is a disaster.