by Kay Sibanda

Created on: June 14, 2008   Last Updated: October 09, 2010

It is a known fact that Robert Mugabe has brought Zimbabwe to its knees. A country whose economy expanded phenomenally during the Ian Smith era (1964-1979). Today, all he knows is to point fingers at the West and Europe for imposing sanctions which are ONLY TARGETED on certain individuals who think are above the law like him and his chosen few.

It must be remembered that Zimbabwe, then Rhodesia under Ian Smith was under sanctions as a country from the time Ian Smith declared his UDI in 1965 until the day the country achieved its independence in April 1980 with the help of Margaret Thatcher's conservative government.

The sanctions imposed on the Ian Smith regime were proper economic sanctions like the ones imposed on South Africa during the apartheid era. Zimbabweans are being indoctrinated into believing that the country is under sanctions and yet the thieves calling themselves the government of Zimbabwe are under "Travel Bans". These travel bans were imposed to curb their spending sprees in the United States and many European countries at the expense of their poor country.

In a democratic society, after such travel bans are imposed, those people with travel bans have to step down and open way for new people with clean track records to lead the people of Zimbabwe. But Robert Mugabe decided to stay on and declared his own personal fight with the international community.

Robert Mugabe inherited a live and viable economy which was well ahead of its game and far more developed in infrastructure and systems than most of its neighbours and Africa in general. But his thoughts were flooded with vengence on the other Patriotic Front party, PF ZAPU which was led by Joshua Nkomo.

Soon after taking over the country he went on a killing spree and promoted divisions along tribal lines. He killed about 30 000 people in a period of five years whilst the international community honoured him worldwide with honourary degress and having coffee with the Queen of England.

Whilst murdering the Ndebele tribe of Zimbabwe, his close friends were busy misappropriating land that was supposed to be given to the landless as agreed with Britain under the Lancaster House Agreement.

Instead of land to the people his was land to his party's elite who now own dozens of farms each throughout Zimbabwe. A total of 47 million was given to the government of Zimbabwe for the land redistribution exercise, later, Britain then thought the continuation of the land exercise was untenable under those

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>