Yet another African county finds itself embroiled in upheaval as Zimbabwe’s 93-year old President, Robert Mugabe, was seemingly deposed last week in what appeared to be a coup after Mugabe fired his Vice President, Emmerson Mnangagwa. This move, which angered his military leadership, was the proverbial last straw and Mugabe’s generals placed him under house arrest but fervently denied it was a military coup.
President Mugabe has seen his support dissolve as Zimbabwe continues to be deeply mired in one of the worst economic crises in its history. Inflation has risen to astronomical levels, now termed ‘hyperinflation’ as its central bank began printing money to stave off collapse…never a good idea…and the currency reached Z$35 quadrillion to one U.S. Dollar. Again, that’s quadrillion.
Never one to accept any responsibility for his actions, despite being the head of this nation for nearly 40 years, President Mugabe has blamed these figures on what he considers to be a widespread Western conspiracy. He believed this conspiracy was headed by the United Kingdom after he enacted his ‘Land Reform Program’ which allowed those squatting on white-owned farms to legally seize them, by any means necessary.
Despite these so-called reforms and the benefits to local black farmers, the country remains stuck in an economic blackhole and his own party believes it’s time for a change. The last few weeks has seen urging by both the Zanu-PF and his military for him to resign not to mention the throngs of Zimbabweans protesting his continued grip on power.
In his bizarre address to the people on state-sponsored television, President Mugabe exonerated the military’s action and declared the military response constitutional, stating it “did not amount to a threat to our well-cherished constitutional order, nor was it a challenge to my authority as head of state and government, not even as commander-in-chief of the Zimbabwean defense forces.”
He refused to relinquish power and went on to say he would see the ZANU-PF through until December’s congress despite reports that it will ratify ousted Vice President Mnangagwa as the new leader of the party. However, Mnangagwa isn’t much of a change, if any, considering his checkered past and deep involvement in everything that has transpired, especially the multiple atrocities committed on opposition supporters under Mugabe’s 37-year administration. Like the Who said, “meet the new boss, same as the old boss.”
The last thing this world needs is another breeding ground for anti-Western ideologies but the ingredients are certainly all around them in full force. With much of the population unemployed and desperate for a change, any change, to dig them out of poverty and starvation, all they desire is something to cling to. Ripe conditions for a leader to step in to brainwash another society against Western culture. History does tend to repeat itself. The question remains, will Zimbabwe get fooled again?
Featured image courtesy of Wikipedia.
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Stories out that he has now resigned. Sometimes when African dictators deposed, they take some of the vast wealth from their Swiss bank accounts and arrange for a later violent takeover of their old stomping grounds... but he is too old... and in any event, the Chinese would crush any "freebooter" attempt to get anybody new in power without their approval. -YP-
Mugabe has now resigned: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-42071488 ...The majority of the land was seized...in a manner illegal even by Zimbabwe law by Mugabe young thugs who called themselves "war veterans" though almost none of them even alive during the Rhodesia Bush War (1966-80) ...Mugabe has been blaming "Colonialism" for decades now. But when he took over, the Rhodesian dollar was worth $ 1.60 U.S. He inflated the currency well past the 100 trillion dollar Zimbabwe currency denominations... which would not buy a loaf of bread. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/aeba5ae50012026a1d00cf5ac3feb7f3f7d7edee33a759f6b0a1b4d8c5c2204b.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5eed998992db8bc1a9bab3f3a951bbda917f2defee4c37f7b7800ab7438c025c.jpg ...Rhodesia had the finest health care South of the Sahara... European and black... that has largely collapsed. Rhodesia was self-sufficient in food when I returned to the states in late 1978... and is kept from famine largely by NGO's... Corruption was essentially unknown... now it is everywhere. In addition to Chinese mining concessions... many Chinese businessmen moved in during the recession and bought up many small businesses for a song. ...Black Zimbabwean workers are cheated, overworked and often beaten by the Chinese. When they tried to report that to their police... they were beaten or jailed for their trouble. ...Kariba dam backs up what was once the largest man made lake in the world. It is on the border with Zambia. When I was there 1976-78 Zambia got all its power from the dam and Rhodesia half. It has barely been maintained since 1980 and is likely to fail within the next ten to fifteen years... dumping one of the greatest bodies of fresh water into the Zambezi gorge... wiping out Cabora Bassa dam downstream and killing hundreds of thousands of helpless civilians in downstream countries. Meanwhile, Mugabe's kleptocracy has lined its pockets and its foreign bank accounts. ...One of Mugabe's first acts after taking power was to import those fun loving democrats... the North Koreans who organized Mugabe's Fifth Brigade which operated outside the law, reporting only to Mugabe. At least 25,000 Matabele (minority tribe) men, women and children were murdered... many burned alive in their huts. Far more than a million Zimbabwe citizens fled the country. ...But Mugabe would blame all this on "Colonialism" rather than on his "People's government..." He has resigned now. He is 93 and hopefully will soon be keeping company with Charlie Manson... https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8b251b561b78b0bc6854ba4f11331a79d570e83ae0caff28c7e476bb781aed51.jpg -Yankee Papa-
Maybe...hopefully...Mugabe might read the handwriting on the wall and seek for someone that could or will take over from him and lead responsibly. Of course...he could actually believe his own propaganda and decide he will live in office forever with the people's blessing.
I'm willing to bet China will help the brainwashing against the west; seems they've been at least slightly involved.