'Africa Unite' and Free Zimbabwe

5.7.08

This crying child was pictured outside of the US embassy in Zimbabwe. About 200 Zimbabweans were there pleading for political asylum.

Mugabe, who has violently installed himself as the president, remains characteristically defiant. He continues to define the opposition Movement for Democratic Change as representives of colonial interests.

He nontheless says he will negotiate with the opposition only if he remains the president. This position reminds me of the apartheid government's insistence that it would enter into talks with the liberation movements on the condition that they renounce armed resistance.

GuardianFilms has obtained footage of "Mugabe's henchmen ... stealing civil servant postal ballots." See the video here.

South Africa's Mail & Guardian explains how and why Shepherd Yuda secretly made the film.

"The film shows how he and his colleagues at Harare Central prison had to fill in their postal ballots in front of a Mugabe supporter, how voters had to pretend to be illiterate so an official would fill in their ballots for them, and how terrified Zimbabweans were using felt tip pens to colour their fingers to pretend they had voted, lest they be murdered by Zanu-PF gangs."

Adding to the horror is the fact that African leadership is hardly able to summon enough power to force Mugabe's hand. Except for Kenya, Nigeria, and Zambia, the rest of the continent can't find the necessary conviction to take a stand.

The worst offender is South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki. How short his memory is huh?

Not too long ago his African National Congress castigated the US and Israel, among others, for supporting apartheid brutality.

Why is Zimbabwe different now? Why support and enable the brutal dictatorship of Mugabe?

South Africa has no business being caught between historical loyalty and Mugabe's defiance. And I say this out of conviction and Africanist loyalty to democratic freedom.

Free Zimbabwe!