MarkHealey.net

The BBC reports today that South African president Thabo Mbeki has “urged patience” for the results of the Zimbabwean presidential election held last month, adding further there is “no crisis” in the country. Mbeki, on his way to Lusaka for an emergency meeting of the SADC hoping to break the presidential election deadlock, stopped in Harare to meet with President Mugabe. It’s hard to believe these two aren’t in bed together. 

Mbeki, who replaced Africa’s greatest leader, Nelson Mandela, has praised Mugabe “who is widely blamed for condoning or instigating the worst political clashes here in more than a decade.” For Mbeki to say today there is “no crisis” in Zimbabwe, it’s evident he is either deaf, blind (or both) or happy with Robert Gabriel Mugabe’s handling of his “terms” in office. Zimbabwe’s inflation has surged past 100,000% — the highest peacetime inflation rate in the history of finance, millions of Zimbabweans have fled into neighboring countries seeking refuge, and those who remain are starving, suffering, and literally dying for change. 

It’s tragic knowing that this emergency meeting of the SADC isn’t going to accomplish what it set out to do, especially since Mugabe vowed not to attend.

Mugabe came to power 28 years ago in 1980 at the moment of Zimbabwe’s birth. The country, formerly the breadbasket of Africa, is home to some of the continent’s most beautiful landscapes and wildlife. While its economy is widely recognized as being at rock bottom, it’s time for Mugabe to step down and return Zimbabwe to its people who have been patient for nearly three decades.