Farren

<rant>
Just watched something that got my back up so here goes:

I just don't get my government.

We have the worlds third most gender balanced government in the world, with half of the ministerial positions in the cabinet occupied by women. We've had two elections generally considered free and fair by even the the most right wing whites, with suspicions that they fiddled the books in favour of other parties in first one just to make everyone happy. They've set up two or three special task forces to root out endemic corruption in the civil service (although they do have a tendency to protect their top brass). Twenty years back black consciousness dissedents broke away from the ANC because they decided that the central principle on which they would be based as a liberation movement was non-racism rather than black liberation, and they seem to have remained true to these beliefs.

What I don't get is this: We have two countries experiencing a meltdown of democracy on our borders. They are silent about the one (Swaziland, where the traditional monarchy is attempting to destroy the last vestiges of democracy) and actively supporting the other (Zimbabwe). This has strange echoes of many of the discussions I have seen on these boards regarding the US's internal democracy vs the supporting of civil rights violations elsewhere.

Independent press, foreign observers and even one dissenting member of the borderline racist PAC (an "Africanist" party) have all declared the Zimbabwean elections too faulty to be free and fair, characterised by thuggery and intimidation. At present at least 5 senior members of the opposition are in custody on trumped up charges. Two Zimbabwean cricketers wore black armbands in the World Cup protesting "The death of democracy" in ZImbabwe. Close to a million Zimbabweans have entered our borders legally or illegally in the last five years and all of them are opposed to Mugabe. Thousands of them demonstrated at the World Trade Summit.

BUT

The ANC Minister of Land Affairs returns from a visit from Zimbabwe and declares "The Zimbabweans have much to teach us about land redistribution", at a time when they are passing a stronger bill to prevent land invasions here! Nkosisana Zuma, Foreign Minister, continually refers to Mugabes government as a "democratically elected leader" and even warns the West not to "deprive Zimbabweans of thier right to choose".

WHY on earth would they openly and actively support someone so plainly antethical to the principles they espouse? What the fuck is going on? Is this just gratitude for the assistance Mugabes government gave them in the apartheid years or are they afraid there's too much sympathy with his anti-white land reform "Process" (mostly anarchic thuggery) in their own electorate to oppose him.

AAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHHHH
</rant>

Loren Pechtel

Zimbabwe, Democracy?! It sure wasn't in 82 when I was there and I haven't heard anything to suggest that it's improved since.

marylandnaturegirl

I certainly find it alarming that S.A. would show any kind of support for the Mugabe regime.

I spent time in 2000 in Zimbabwe (against all advice) and had a great time there. Everything seemed much more safe than walking down the streets of Washington DC or New York City at night.


All the people I met, of all races openly and bitterly spoke against Mugabe so I can't imagine who legitimately has voted or intended to vote for him and his party.

The economic situation was already a disaster in 2000, they kept running out of petrol (gas) while we were there and the prices on everything had tripled in just a few months.

I felt I was doing my part to stimulate their economy being one of the few tourists to brave the area that year. Victoria Falls was like a ghost town as was every wildlife park we went to.

It was sad.

Not only are the people suffering but the wildlife is as well because they don't have the money or desire to protect the wildlife as much now since they can barely feed themselves.

The AIDS situation is dire as well.

I also spent time in SOuth Africa and Botswana. I absolutely loved this part of the world and miss it so. I would love to live in this region for several years in spite of the political and economic situations.

I wish you luck in that part of the world.

I run an African Wildlife club and we are all very concerned with the situations over there for the people and the wildlife.

I try to keep up with the new over there but its very difficult.

Do you know of any websites or newsites that have lots of news from Southern Africa countries?

Farren

Theres this SA search site.

Or look at the lonely planet's destination guide with real feedback from real travellers: here

Swoop

woooo a fellow SA! er anyway, I think the main reason the govt isn't coming down too hard (or at all) on Bob is coz they're aware of what an attractive policy it is, to keep in office. In other words - what you see in Zim is what we'll get here, I give it about another 5-10 years.