I doubt God would agree with someone assassinating Mugabe. We are not authorised by Him to judge, let alone kill, anybody. But something does have to happen. The things that happen in Zimbabwe don't even get made public. Even here, nextdoor in South Africa, we only get to see things beacuse of journalists sneaking cameras across the border.
I have to say, and that as an ex-pat Brit, that the UK has seriously helped to ruin Zimbabwe. Firstly, as bad as minority white-rule was, Rhodesia was a well-run country and many Zimbabweans of all colour miss it. I have it on authority from a former big-wig in the Rhodesian Army that if the bush war had lasted 3 months longer, the Zanus would have gone bust and stopped fighting. But the UK pushed for majority rule so here it is. From then, they insisted on overseeing the elections; but how many Brits do you know speak Shona, Ndebele or Chilapa-lapa? My uncle was in the Army there and saw the voting for himself; the natives were being intimidated and threatened, if they did not vote for Mugabe, yet the British bystanders did not understand them, and refused to be told of this by those who spoke the languages.
(by the way, a ZBC political advertisement of the 80s or 90s showed a car crash, then footage of the opposition - the punchline was "this is one way to die - this is another. Vote Zanu-PF and live". Oh, and of course the lie that, despite being a nameless paper and ballot, the natives were being told that the government could monitor who voted for whom and they would kill them if they voted against them. Free and fair elections???)
Then there was the 1983 Matabeleland massacre, which the British government covered up for many years (because it would make their backing of Mugabe look dumb).
Even in the "good days" of Zimbabwe, there were already shortages of basic goods. By 1987, the mixed government was gone and all opposition was removed. Nobody did anything. Companies were being intimidated by government-backed thugs to take all their forex and give it to the government. Nobody cared.
Even in the 1990s, when things were going very bad, nobody cared.
By the late 1990s, the compensation that the UK promised to Zimbabwe to distribute white-owned land to landless blacks was repealed - one of the reasons the land-grabs happened.
Then came the land-grabs by force; although a few thousand whites owning the bulk of farms would be a moral issue, they accounted for some 70-80% of the country's GDP and kept the country, and many surrounding countries, with food. Also, each white farmer had many black employees. All lost their possessions and livelihood.
Farms that were stolen were not given to landless blacks - they were given to Zanu-PF loyalists and MPs. Some were given to Libya as well, in exchange for oil.
Well, what have we now? A case where the opposition is intimidated blatantly. People who are MDC supporters are denied food aid and can expect a good bashing. Inflation is officially 4500% but in reality 11,000% upwards. Money is worthless. One needs a month's wages to but a week's food. Unemployment is 80%, poverty also 80%. Now Mugabe has enforced half-price goods, meaning companies cannot survive and will either go bankrupt or close shop. In areas of Zimbabwe, people have reverted to simple barter.
And still, nobody cares. If there were oil reserves, the American government would have invaded like a shot.
It is too sad. I have family from Zimbabwe, family who lived there and I knew people still up there. Some of the tales are unbelieveable. It is also sad though that the UK contributed to this mess and now does nothing, the EU is all talk and no action, the USA does nothing, everybody lets South Africa deal with it, and our president is a Mugabe fan and is doing nothing. We have 3000 illegal immigrants a day coming across the border and he publicly said he can't do anything about it. He chooses to support Mugabe and let the people rot, calling it "quiet diplomacy".
As far as I have discovered, there are only two sub-Saharan countries that have actually done well since being de-colonised - Botswana and Gabon. The rest have gone to pot. As for South Africa? Well, we are getting land grabs, shortage of basic goods, rife corruption, crime is out of control, vile race policies (now no longer white vs black, but black vs everybody) - every aspect of life is slowly replicating Zimbabwe's downfall. We all fear the day Mandela dies, because he assured that peace was kept during the transition, so who knows what will happen afterwards?
Cheers
Matt
