By Yilma Bekele
Robert Mugabe is on his way out. May be not. They say cats have nine lives. We have no idea which life this cat is on. For the sake of the people of Zimbabwe we hope it is the last one. Zimbabwe’s emergence as a country was not easy. The people of Zimbabwe paid a heavy price for their freedom from the dreaded British and their unruly subject Ian Smith. Mr. Mugabe was the first President. The year was 1980. The illustrious President has managed to turn the euphoria of hope and a bright future into hopelessness shame and another failed state.
There were two liberation fronts fighting for majority rule and Independence from the British. ZAPU and ZANU. Joshua Nikomo was ZAPU’s leader while Mugabe was with ZANU. Two years after Independence Mr. Nikomo was ousted from his ministerial position and by 1987 his Party was merged with ZANU and became known us ZANU-PF. It has been a one-man show ever since. The tyrant felt he was indispensable and without his wise leadership things will fall apart.
It is a typical African story. Nothing spectacular about it. At the risk of boring you let us recount a few of these human curses bestowed upon us.
* Idi Amin of Uganda 1971-1979. Specialized in removal of organs (bodies were found with genitals, eyes, livers, noses missing) and prisoners were forced to bludgeon each other to death with sledgehammers. (Body count about 300,000 lives)
* Jean Bedel Bokassa of Central African Republic 1966-1979. Specialized in cannibalism and known for murder of Scholl age children for refusing to wear uniform manufactured in his factory. (Money count $125 Million)
* Mengistu Hailemariam of Ethiopia 1974-1991. King of ‘Red Terror’ specialized in using ‘neighborhood committees (kebeles)’ to terrorize and murder over a million citizens. (Body count 1.5 Million lives)
* Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire 1965-1997. Specialized in what is known as ‘Kleptocracy’ where the distinction between state assets and his own was blurred. (Money count $4 Billion)
* Charles Taylor of Liberia 1997-2003. Rain of death on Liberia and its neighbors. Specialized in ‘child solders’ and his personal fortune was greater than Liberia’s GNP. (Body count over 300,000 lives)
* Muammar Gaddafi of Libya 1969-. The puppeteer. His proud graduates included Foday Sankoh of Sierra Leone who specialized in hacking the arms and legs of civilians, Laurent Kabila of Congo master of the civil war responsible for the death of over 4 million people, and Charles Taylor of Liberia, at the moment being tried by the Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague.
These are but a few of the various criminals who have littered the length and breathe of our continent. They all have a few things in common. All are ordinary people who emerged through the chaos of the moment. They learned early on the power of terror. They left behind a bankrupt, divided and psychologically scared Nation State. It will take generations to replace what they have squandered in a very short time.
Mr. Mugabe is one ordinary person when given the chance to rise up and shine disappointed a lot of people by his failure to inspire and lead. I guess what they say is true ‘either you have it or you don’t’ what ever ‘it’ is. He inherited a country blessed with mineral resources, rich soil and energetic people. It needed a lot of work. Colonialism is a brutal system. The white settlers were not a push over. They have the official support of South Africa and Portugal and the unofficial but tacit support of the West. They can afford to be intransigent. For Mr. Mugabe it was not a slam-dunk situation.
But isn’t it at a time like this a country needs a visionary leader? Didn’t Mr. Mugabe take the job? As a leader it was his job to inspire his people and build on the energy generated by the knowledge that they are master of their own destiny. ‘Effective leaders generate higher productivity, lower costs, and more opportunities than ineffective leaders. Effective leaders create results, attain goal, and realize vision, and other objectives more quickly and at a higher level of quality than ineffective leaders’. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadership).
Mugabe was unable to rise up for the occasion. He mis-ruled for 28 long years. Today Zimbabwe, which was known as the breadbasket for Southern Africa, is starving. The economy is in ruins with inflation running 165%. No it is not a typo it really is 165%. One US dollar is 40 thousand Zimbabwe Dollar. It is a situation where price of goods changes by the hour. Mugabe was adapt at playing one ethnic group against another, he was good at the old divide and rule method, and wrote the book on ‘ballot stuffing’ and vote miscounting. Mugabe can boast of the best ‘security’ service and countrywide informant network. He is lethal in using his goons to harass the opposition and intimidate his opponents in broad daylight. He has no shame what so ever. His loyalists and supporters talk of him as a strong, cunning and very intelligent man. He can be all three but Zimbabwe has only seen his ugly side.
The Lyrics to Bob Morley’s song entitled ‘Zimbabwe’ written in 1978 goes..
Every man gotta right to decide his own destiny,
And in this judgement there is no partiality.
So arm in arms, with arms, we’ll fight this little struggle,
‘Cause that’s the only way we can overcome our little trouble.
To divide and rule could only tear us apart;
In everyman chest, mm – there beats a heart.
So soon we’ll find out who is the real revolutionaries;
And I don’t want my people to be tricked by mercenaries.
Natty trash it in-a Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe);
Mash it up in-a Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe);
Set it up in-a Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe);
Africans a-liberate Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe);
Africans a-liberate Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe);
Natty dub it in-a Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe).
I am sure Bob Morley will be heart broken to see Zimbabwe where today blacks kill blacks, where Independence have brought more misery in the hands of fellow citizens and the population live in terror and abject misery. Mr. Mugabe instead of doing what is right and proper when he had the chance is now negotiating a safe exit. His foreign benefactors will wash their hands of him one by one. His fellow criminals are jumping of his fast sinking boat life vest or not. Even his wife and kids are out of the country. Mugabe is on a free fall. Will someone please remove the safety net! Let him fall in peace. Good riddance of bad rubbish.
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The writer can be reached at [email protected]
18 thoughts on “Another one bites the dust”
What about today’s Ethiopian rulers. Sneaky systematic, and the new version of the election manipulators in Africa. Rubbing it on the neighboring countries Kenya, Somalia….
Today’s Ethiopian leaders as cancerous as the ’60s, 70′, 80’s African leaders, if not more. Divide and rule a typical 18th century white colonial’s/modern day apartheid philosopy. Please don’t leave out today Woyane monsters.
The best article ever written by Yilma Bekele. He usually is one sided, partisan and off the facts. But this time he nailed it.
Gee – are we Africans not capable of leading ourselves? By all account Zenawi is the worst in Africa. He has beaten all the brutal tyannts of Africa in every category.
One thing we have to look at in the future is creating “The Tyrannt hunter organization of Africa” an organisation that may be similar to Simon’s “Nazi Hunter” of Austraia which brought so many Nazi criminals to justice after the 2nd world war.
I am now convinced that sometimes it is important what we do to the tyrannts and follower after they leave power. Mengistu’s luxury life after power is not a good example to eradicate dictatorship.
He is yet to fall. He is reading Meles Zenawi’s play book. Accuse the oppostion, shut out the journalists and take them all to prison. Accuse all the oppostion of trying to kill your tribe,Tell the judges what to decide or as in Meles’s case have experts write the sentnce. Kill domnstrators on the streets and harass the entire country. Tell the west you will fight terrorism and they will give you aid and cover. Send Ambassadors and dignitaries to the prison to advise the oppostion to ask for pardon. Then everything will be OK. Other people will keep dying of hunger Mughabe will have his power
Africas Goons Stink. But Mugabe is a mother Terressa compated to Meles Zenawi. At least he has not killed as many as Meles Zenawi and he has let the parliamentary votes get counted.
who ever wrote this article make it like mugabe had a free hand and failed. but imagine when 400 000 white mens control 90% of the economy and judiciary. Beside the west giving it suport for the anti zimbwabian white minority, sabotaging the economy. Now they become more catholic than the pop. accusing mr Mogabe for the Zimbuabe fall. in my openion the west especially Britian the main factor for the fall of Zimbuabwe. Ofcourse the white farmers should give up thier ill gotten land for the black ppls who fought for the land. What is wrong if mugabed did that but as soon as he touched the root cause the operesive mechanism they impose sanctins after sanctions just to show africans shouldn’t stand for their right with out the blessing of teh west. That is what is happening in Zimbuabue.mugabe is an old man and i don’t think he has any desire to live another 30 year but he want to make good things for his ppls at the end his life time. Now he is not afraid of the white intimidation and he is working with is free mind. He can’t be a pupet for the remaining short life his. This put in direct collision with the west. He shouldn,t alow this so called oppostion to take power at any coast he has retain power and chalenge the west.When the ppls wann change in our ethiopia the west was not ready so they help to rigge the vote through delaying tactics now in Zimbuabwe they want the result to come out becouse they know what is happening when there is a delay. It is their tactic both in kenya and ethiopia. Mugabe should stay in power untill the west removed their sanction if they worry about the ppls of Zimbwabue it is their sanction not mugabe wich hert the couuntry.
Well said , well written.
Thank you Yilma, May God bless you
Excellent article with historical references and a dose of sad and clear picture of reality about the African continent. As long as the African people, in every country don’t say, enough is enough and fight for democratic rule this continent will be doomed for a longtime. The only deficit on the article is that it failed to point out some of the hopeful signs seen in some African countries such as in Ghana, South Africa and Botswana. Even though we don’t see prosperity and democratic governance mushrooming, there is a trickle of hope seen to be acknoldged.
Ato Yilma,
“Mugabe was unable to rise up for the occasion”
Come on be realistic please. It is always easy to criticize someone in hindsight as it were. But, how would you have “risen to the occasion” when the West led by the US and Britain did everything they can to see to it that he never rises from the ashes of Ian Smith. I don’t think it is that difficult to see the evil design he and the Zimbabwean people had to go through in the last 3 decades of independence. If he hadn’t challenged the white establishment of old Rhodesia and if he was to accept the status quo of colonial Southern Rhodesia, I believe he would have been tooted as a “Great democrat” by the double standard modus of operandi that the West has perfected. As much as I despise his “I know it all” attitude, I think he placed himself in an unenviable and untenable position by confiscating and expropriating the land that was owned and operated by the white Zimbabweans and distributed them to poor black farmers with apparently less experience in modern farming and perhaps less capital as well. You see. My friend – that is the danger of getting in the West band wagon. Are you telling us that Robert Mugabe was anymore dictator, ruthless or embarrassing than the Weyane leader who is constantly viewed as a democrat by none other than the West? Is there any logical reason why the West pampers Meles Zenawi and continuously denigrate Robert Mugabe? Could it be then the former may be nothing more than their errand boy while the latter just simply gets on their way?
It is a nice article but where is the comparizion with our Melese Zenawi? Why didn’t forget to list out Meles from his friends.
Hey Yilma, As they say it’s easier to tell than to do..But then again none of us are in Mugabe’s shoe! But let me ask you a question..If you have to choose between selling your country to the west and trying to preserve your country’s dignity which one would you choose? That is exactly what the old and very paitent Mugabe had done in the face of less than three percent white minority owning ninty percent of the land to produce tobacco and pocket every penny to themselves…after waiting in vain over twenty years for the British and the west’s promise of helping him to make land reform and provide him with the money needed, he was tired of seeing his countrymen living in abject poverty. He realized he became a puppet, like meles keles zenaw, and wanted his legacy to be one that brings about a meaningful change in the majority black zimbabewan’s lives. The west responded him by portraying him as a tyrannical despot who overnight ordered the life expectancy to be dropped from fifty to thirty four years old in less than a year !?! What I really don’t understand is that how come we do not even try to investigate and analyze what went on before we keep on judging every african leader the west seem to demonize without veryfying the facts? Let’s also look at Kenya, whose Economist leader Kibaki brought a relative stability in a country where corruption was rampant and the disparity between the rich was widening just like every other African state. During his reign of power in the last five years without cooking the books and or outright lying like the tplf counterparts he brought a healthy five percent grouwth from a point six(.06) percent he inherited and bringing alongside close to two million Kenyans out of the poverty line, and that should be the barometer we need to require from our leaders when they tell us an outright lie of 11% economic growth. Kibaki, a proven leader also from the majority ki kuyu tribe had every chance of winning by landslide until those whose interest is to make sure that every african should live in abject poverty started a smear campaign against him and left him badly battered, to a son of a historical banda named Odinga..We as africans, instead of taking evrything the west says with a grain of salt, started to shout their concern over our own and end up limiting the powers of those who think for their countrymen while applauding those who wanted to continue to seve the interests of others at the expense of their countrymen… There you go that is what is the “Truth”. So if anyone wants to argue or comment about an african leader I wish they could analyze what’s going on and at the very least offer some kind of a solution based on their understanding. Otherwise we only be serving to become the mouthpieces of those others with objectives that are very different from ours. Hope this would be an eyeopener for some and a lesson to others not to shout while others are shouting without understanding “Why?” .. ‘Ewnetu’
Call up on:
A group consisting of peoples from every country in Arica needs to be set up. The group shall be organized through media personnels.The group is supposed to work hard and ultimately uproot dictators from Africa once and for all. This is just possible!!It is just attainable.Let us start it just now. Elias, you have got work to do!
Thank you Ewenetu you have clearly explained it. i 100% agree with the truth you wrote
To Ewenetu:
Mugabe had done so many good things during his early years of presidency. He would have left power after serving like 8 years with dignity. Had that been, the country would have been in a better situation.The country is now worse than it used to be under the British colony. If you are not able to feed your kids, forget about your dignity man!
Don’t blame Mugabe for the failure of that state.I personally blame the West and it’s allies.If it is not in their interest then they blame the government or the leader.We have seen than in Ethiopia,Somalia,and Rawanda just to mention a few.Stop attacking eachother and start working together to get rid of blood hungry dictators from our beloved Africa.Please visit “surafels.blogspot.com” and drop a comment or two.
It is good to mention some of the barbaric leaders of Africa but there are lots of worse leaders to be mentioned like the Ethiopian Meles who is responsible for the sufering of more than 14 million people and the death of morethan a million. DOWN TO TPLF AND MELESSSSSSSSSS
Hallow every one,
Sun rise from East and sets to West, shame is for Wests who are lobbing to attach a value less allegation to one of the energetic and leaders Muggabi, Muggabi is a hero African who managed to regain the dignity and ownership of Zimbabwe farmers. Either follow us or you will day for starvation, encounter economic instability or orchestrated Political unrest “zip up your Mouth” are the behaviors of western countries, who are still parasite to this lovely Continent
It may be true Ham is a cursed race and all his children with him too!
Had the white farmers been allowed to continue farming the land until the Zimbabwean farmers learned the skills the Zimbabwean white farmers have had, the people of Zimbabwe would not be starved to death today, and Zimbabwe would have kept its name “the bread basket of Africa” intact, but thanks to the cursed offspring of Ham, Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe is not any more the bread basket of Africa. It was indeed the bread basket of Africa when only the white farmers were handling the land skillfully and with great care to the land itself and to their employees.
However, as soon as the nationalistic and the egoistic Mugabe drove out those productive and intelligent white farmers and replaced them by his unskilled, unproductive, and lazy old soldiers, Zimbabwe, a great and a beautiful house that sheltered the white and the blacks for many years, collapsed as its pillars – the white farmers – were removed by a violent wind – Robert Mugabe, the black dictator.
Mugabe removed the white farmers intentionally from their land and hurt his own race unintentionally; some of those white farmers may have gone to England, some to South Africa, and some to the United States, and they are, perhaps, living there comfortably, but the people of Zimbabwe do not know how to figure out about their land they took by force from the white farmers. They have not still produced adequate crops that would feed the people of Zimbabwe. The inability of feeding and leading one’s own people demonstrates that once again the race of Ham may be a weaker race than the Semitic race. To avoid such a genetic weakness (I’m just assuming), we blacks of the cursed race must mix ourselves with the white race so that both races could benefit from each other.
It is not only Robert Mugabe, who is not incapable of leading and feeding his country; in fact, most African leaders are like that, unable to feed or lead their countries, so what is the alternative for us black Africans? May be, the alternative is to invite the white people and allow them to live and stay with us, not to colonize us but to show us how to. There is a big lesson to learn from the white Zimbabwean farmers; their departure from their farm lands shows to the world that we Africans are unable to lead our own productive lives without the leadership of the white race. Otherwise, why do we fail terribly and disappoint our people for so many years unless there is a divine curse upon us the children of Ham?
Yilma Bekele,
Go trick somebody, I am not going to be tricked. You mentioned Mengistu Haile Mariam, yet you never mentioned the [b]TPLF-ETHNO-DICTATORIAL-MINORITY-MILITARY-JUNTA[/b]Their rule is different than Muputu CeCe Ko, only one ethnic is allowed to succeessed. In fact, this is a different that has bnever been seen in the histroy of dictatorship. I like dictators, because they only care for themeselves and you can always catch them by surprise, in the case of Woyannie, you cannot catch them by surprise, because they have wired every Tegerean mind that their stay in power is beneficial for Tegerai, hence the average Tegerean will kill and die for the survival of TPLF.
You cannot mention Mengistu and leave Meles out, he has killed over 123,000 Ethiopians only in a war with Eritrea, a war him and his friends instigated. Not to mention the thousands he killed in Ogadenia, Oromia, and in Amhara region as well as Gambella regions. He has imprisoned thousands more for unknown reasons. He also stashed millions in offshore bank accounts, and practices officially economic robbery, by establishing a separate economic source tapping only profits from Ethiopian market and when a loss come it is transferred into the Ethiopian economy. EFFORT by itself is a self contained economic engine that can raise Ethiopian economy and bring Ethiopian economy down anytime it desires. If Ethiopians refuse to abide by Tegerean rule the economy is brought down by squeezing hard currency, and if they agree with Tegerean rule then the sqeeze is relaxed.
Mugabe is not as the news is rebuking him. He is an extraordinary person who has shown his ability not only by recwivinh seven degrees but also by teaching hundreds during his ten years in prison. Indeed, he is a leader. He took the risk to divide the ‘land’ for the poor. Who can do that, for the people. Even if the white Europeans are hard working individuals, they can not continue to own 90% of the fertile land. And UK opposed the land reform. The next day Mugabe was pictured as a ‘devil’. And the African ‘leadres’ do not have the required moral level to back him. Other western countries didn’t give attention for the root cause of the problem.As a resuls the economy sanctioned hurt the country. UN or EU sholud help by paying the land fees to the commercial farmers. The opposition leader is opportunist. He just wanted the ‘power’. But Mugabe is a leader. Know him more.