Let them eat cake in Zimbabwe?
By Matthew Clark | Africa editor 03.01.09
British tabloids have taken to calling him ‘Mad Bob.’
On Saturday, Zimbabwe’s president seemed to be living up to the moniker.
Robert Mugabe threw himself a A $250,000 party with 3,000 spectators celebrating his 85th year on this planet.
And, really, what’s a party without a 187-pound cake?
Nevermind that more than half the population is on emergency food aid, that inflation (by far the world’s highest) floats somewhere well above 200 million percent, or that his own government just days ago asked its cash-strapped neighbors for $2 million more in aid.
Oh yeah, and then there’s that cholera epidemic that’s blamed for claiming nearly 4,000 lives in recent months: a tragedy, that stems from government failure at the most basic levels. As the Monitor wrote in a December story, the outbreak even threatens regional stability.
But none of that stopped Mr. Mugabe from throwing such a lavish birthday bash.
This is Mugabe holding back
To be sure, he’s been more extravagent, as The New York Times point out. “But perhaps hard times call for restraint,” quips the paper.
What Mugabe party would be complete, though, without a renewed promise to seize Zimbabwe’s last few hundred white-owned farms. Yep, Bob was “playing the hits.”
Opposition leader skips the bash
Top opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai - now the country’s prime minister in a fragile new coalition government – skipped the party.
The first few weeks of the new government have not gone well, reported the Monitor’s Africa Bureau Chief, Scott Baldauf, in a story last week.
True, Morgan Tsvangirai, the country’s new prime minister and President Robert Mugabe’s sworn enemy, recently had a successful visit to South Africa, laying out a $5 billion plan to reconstruct Zimbabwe. But members of Mr. Tsvangirai’s own party remain in jail, including Deputy Agriculture Minister Roy Bennett, who was arrested on charges of “banditry and terrorism.”
And supporters of Mr. Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party have invaded dozens of farms belonging to the few remaining white farmers in Zimbabwe. And across the country, squabbling between members of Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and ZANU-PF – ostensibly allies in government – has turned increasingly violent.
Mugabe’s birthday bash casts a “let them eat cake” aura about his leadership. At least, that’s how it looks from the outside.
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3. Wagona Chomubhi | 03.01.09
Are the MDCs against land reform, or do they think blacks are no good farmers as compared to whites? How many white farmers have agricultural training in Zimbabwe? How many went to Chibero, Gwebi or Mlezu agricultural colleges? I want to challenge statistically comparing with the blacks who were resettled.
What is causing low output is not lack of knowledge, but sanctions meant to make it hard to farm. No inputs under sanctions, thats it. Lets compare one for one on qualifications and then comment.
Does it mean that when one is resettled, then they are Mugabe’s cronies? If so, then it is noble to be one. I was born in Zimbabwe and I believe in sharing the land and compensation, but if those who grbed it from our forefathers say we are blacks and do not deserve to own land in Zimbabwe, then I beg to disagree.
4. Takesure Moyana | 03.01.09
Zimbabwe needs young leadership, the likes of Arthur Mutambara.
Soon Mugabe is going to die, and we pray the young blood will come and utilize all the skills they learned abroad and bring the large business network which is vital to rebuild Zimbabwe. For now, we cannot trust Mugabe, unfortunately, he is as cunning as a fox.
5. R Sorber | 03.02.09
The continent of Africa, it seems , remains an issue of Black or White.
The world forced South Africa to change.
Our White conscious was cleansed by the resulting change of governments,
yet little has been done when the crimes are black on black. I do not read of any
African country saying “Enough is enough” Where is the black conscious ?
6. Melisa Madhara | 03.02.09
This cake (Zimbabwe’s wealth (if any)), is just so tasty that those who have now tasted it are finding it too irresistable to ignore. Beware, some are going to be swallowed with the same system that brought Zimbabwe down in the first place … YOUR CAN NOT HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT.
7. Elizabeth Weiss | 03.02.09
The Mugabees of the world will spend other people’s money on themselves down to the last penny. They can’t help it.
9. Munacho Mutezo | 03.03.09
In Africa, we say , a leopard will never change its spots.Mugabe’s extravagancy is not suprising.
10. Kansas | 03.03.09
The bashing of Mugabe will continue because of what he has done to the country and the people of Zimbabwe, not because he took away farms from white Zimbabweans. I realize that Zimbabwe is a young country and needs time to establish itself, but it is also apparent that his idea of “ruling” a country by giving political seats to his “buddies” is one major cause of the economic situation in Zimbabwe (although there are other major reasons as well). Terrorizing the local whites and forcing them out of the country is ridiculous and a racist movement, that is all, and if he wants to change things within his country, he should start by helping the people, not harming them. The reason for bashing him about this party is that he spent $250,000 that could have been used towards something more beneficial for the country instead of a “birthday bash.” The people of Zimbabwe are starving and dying of diseases, and he gives them cake.
Also, I am not saying that blacks are incompetent farmers, but the sanctions are not the only reason for the economic state. It is silly to claim that education can be learned purely from textbooks; it is a hands-on experience that needs to be passed on over time. If anything, the white farmers should have stayed on to help work the farms or at least been given smaller land plots. Just because your skin color is white does not mean you are not a Zimbabwean. I agree with Takesure Moyana and pray the young people do come back to save their country.
11. Zim elder, UK | 03.04.09
Whats this talk about the party taking place every year and all Zimbabweans having a time to get together? Some people were brainwashed. This is a Zanu PF thing, period. Have we had cholera every year? Why not have a concern for people and raise money towards this disaster? Even if Whites report negatively about Mugabe, he is giving them the ammunition. Why does he not care for his own people? Someone is talking about agricultural training and resettlement. How many farms does Mugabe’s liutenants have? Why is Disgrace now taking farmers from fellow blacks? Whats the use of training farmers, doctors, teachers etc then force them out of the country?
12. hizzyman | 03.04.09
Why not bring elections on early and get them to be monitored by the UN , who ever wins then it shall be the spoken word of the people perhaps then we can get on with our lives. Enough now!
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1. Don Phiri | 03.01.09
I think the bashing of Mugabe has gone for too long and irrelevant. Most of us Africans are beginning to think that the western press has a hidden agenda in all this. You see a lot of propaganda from the west designed to make the whole thing look negative.
Let’s set the record straight. These parties happen every year and it is one occasion where you see people come together, the MDC, Zanu PF, the poor, the hungry, the underprivillaged, etc. To say $200,000 is too expensive for this kind of get together is to expose yourself as people who really dont wish Zimbabwe well.
It’s important to point out here that most white South Africans and the western press are not fighting for the welbeing of Zimbabweans. Their fight is about Mugabe - to them Mugabe humiliated white people when he mistreated white farmers so he must pay. And they will pursue their agenda regardless of the situation on the ground.
You will also notice that most of this western press, include this newspaper, insist on employing white South Africans only for their Africa Bureau in Johannesburg regardless of the fact that 80% of South Africans are black.
White South Africans are good people. But they grew up in an apartheid society that told them that everything black is negative. Even white westerners who go to Africa has a tendency of only getting their news from ‘white’ experts. Is it any wonder that news from Africa always tend to be negative????? This is the golbilization of partheid which Thabo Mbeki predicted.