The wishful thinking that Robert Mugabe would give up power peacefully in Zimbabwe after his apparent electoral defeat has slowly faded away, and now only those with Jimmy Carter-levels of naivete hold out more than the slimmest of hopes that this pa…..

The Afrikaans-speaking press in SA has just revealed that a Red Chinese ship has been stopped in Durban Harbour. It was found to have containers containing 3 million rounds of AK47 ammo, 3500 mortars with launchers, and 1500 shoulder launched grenades. The manifest shows Zimbabwe’s Army as the customer (read “Mugabe’s thugs”).

Kokonut on April 17, 2008 at 1:38 PM

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Holy crap – not only that, but S Africa is letting the shipment proceed to Zimbabwe – so Mugabe can eliminate some of those pesky citizens who opposed him in the election.

As distasteful as it would be to let someone like Mugabe go scot free, I’d rather that than a civil war. Why are Mugabe’s friends still hanging on to him?

rbj on April 17, 2008 at 12:43 PM

From the original post:

…Robert Mugabe could face justice after his removal from office.

Mugabe’s friends are still hanging on to him because otherwise they’d hang after him.

The widespread assumption is that Mugabe has something to hide

Actually, they have photographic evidence of polling results posted on the doors of the polling houses that clearly show who won the election.

These photos need to be published to the internet ASAP if they are not already.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/17/africa/AF-GEN-South-Africa-Zimbabwe.php

/sarc

Mugabe should swing from a tree just as Sadam did, and so should all the dictators of the world.

Peace begins when the dictators end. Period.

If Zimbabwe explodes, some of the blood will be on Thabo Mbeki’s hands, for doing nothing when he could have helped arrange a peaceful exit for Mugabe and his henchmen.

Shame on South Africa.

irishspy on April 17, 2008 at 12:55 PM

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Shoot – Mbeki was there last week, getting a glimpse of the future of South Africa, and trying to glean a few pointers on how to hold onto power when the citizens don’t want you anymore.

Shame on South Africa.

Of course, if one wants to know how the people of Zimbabwe feel about all this, one need only talk to Mugabe as he speaks for all the people.

token on April 17, 2008 at 12:19 PM

OTOH, how many Zimbabwe citizens opposed the transfer of productive, white owned farms to black rebel followers of Mugabe? I don’t recall seeing wide protests against transference of wealth by the black citizenry when that happened. Sow,..reap.

I’m thankful I live in the United States where criticism isn’t considered treason (yet).

TooTall on April 17, 2008 at 12:18 PM

No – it’s considered racism

Where’s Jimmuh to sort this one out? Is he still kissing Hamas ass?

Where’s the UN? Hello?

Dr.Cwac.Cwac on April 17, 2008 at 12:01 PM

Remember the UN only gets involved if it the “crisis” involves Israel.

Lance Murdock on April 17, 2008 at 12:09 PM

That’s a baldfaced lie, Lance. I’m sure the UN is there right now, scoping out the 9 year old girls for the blue helmets.

As distasteful as it would be to let someone like Mugabe go scot free, I’d rather that than a civil war. Why are Mugabe’s friends still hanging on to him?

The question remained of how the United States would relate to the new democratically elected black government. In 1978, Congress had passed the Case-Javits Amendment, which compelled the president to lift the sanctions on Rhodesia (in place since a 1966 U.N. Security Council resolution) if the regime held free and fair elections and showed a good-faith effort to negotiate with guerrilla leaders. Undoubtedly, the April 1979 election and the interim government’s invitation to the Patriotic Front to participate met these conditions. Appropriately, two weeks after the election, the Senate passed a nonbinding resolution 75-19 calling on the Carter administration to lift sanctions. Unable to challenge the validity of the Zimbabwe Rhodesia government on the merits as stipulated by Congress, Carter persuaded congressional allies to pass a new bill that would allow him to maintain sanctions in order to protect America’s national interests in Africa, which he believed would be threatened if the United States recognized a government not favored by the thugs and tyrants on the continent.

In July, Muzorewa came to the United States determined to “remove the blindness” of the Carter administration. He said that there were “some people who are sick in the head in the international world” for maintaining sanctions against a country that had transitioned peacefully from white power to majority rule. Muzorewa was far too sanguine about his ability to persuade Jimmy Carter and Andrew Young; their blindness was incurable. In October, all four members of the Zimbabwe Rhodesia executive council traveled to the United States to plead for recognition, and Carter refused to meet with them. Disappointed by the West’s rebuff, Muzorewa noted that while Zimbabweans “are prepared to forget the past and work together with our white brethren, . . . some people in Britain, America, Africa, and other parts of the world appear unwilling to allow us to do so.”

Of the election that had catapulted Muzorewa to power, Martin Meredith wrote, “However much disappointment there was with a constitution which entrenched white privilege, the opportunity to vote for a black leader who promised peace was worth having.” But as Muzorewa immediately discovered, to the Carter administration, no government without Robert Mugabe in charge was worth having.

I’m thankful I live in the United States where criticism isn’t considered treason (yet).

TooTall on April 17, 2008 at 12:18 PM

Shhhh…… Wait until the Fairness doctrine is reinstated….

Where’s Jimmuh to sort this one out? Is he still kissing Hamas ass?

Where’s the UN? Hello?

Dr.Cwac.Cwac on April 17, 2008 at 12:01 PM

Remember the UN only gets involved if it the “crisis” involves Israel.

I haven’t been paying a lick of attention to these events.

The only thing you need to really pay attention to is the lack of UN involvement here. They pretend to support legitimate democracy around the world and when a travesty of that comes to the front, they sit around and do nothing.

And you can look at other groups who pretend to want to save Africa and look at them doing nothing about this as well. You’d think Mr Africa, Bono, would have something to say about this. But the silence is deafening.