I sincerely hope South Africa can break free of supporting African leaders no matter what.
I have been reading President Thabo Mbeki’s latest African National Congress online publication, where he complains about “white supremacists” criticising Zimbabwe, or was it him, I wasn’t too sure? Anyway, the whole thing left me cold. He doesn’t seem to realise that the problem is a corrupt leader and his cohorts and has nothing to do with black or white. May I remind him that the opposition is a black freedom movement being oppressed by a black dictator. As for those who criticise him, I am black and I certainly question his position as he is letting us all down in our quest for democracy.
On the Zimbabwe election, we expect the South Africans and Southern African Development Community (SADC) to come up with the usual “it was relatively free and fair”, despite the fact that two of their teams were stoned, members were excluded from polls and witnessed abductions and irregularities. To date they have pretended this hasn’t happened. What do white supremacists have to do with this?
Let us pray that the observers will do the right thing and not be hindered by a president with a complex. T Ziki, Zimbabwe
The Zimbabwean election has been proved to be a sham. The SADC, Commonwealth and South African observers have a duty to declare that due to the beating up of poll observers and the taking over of polling stations by war vets, this poll cannot be called “free and fair”.
I was in a polling queue from 6.45am to 7pm, and I did not get to vote. In that time only 630 votes were cast! I understand in some areas it was much less.
This is worse than any intimidation. It cannot be fair to have a government with a vested interest allowed to make all the rules.
They have already managed to fool some people, who say the turnout was good. Just because there were mile-long queues does not mean the turnout was good.
The people will not stand for this, and, mark my words, violence will erupt. It must be understood that the people have been beaten and intimidated, and the poll itself cheated and rigged so much, with no condemnation from the SADC, South Africa and the Commonwealth.
I have just seen on e.tv that generally the South Africans think things went “fairly smoothly”. For the love of God, where are these people? Surely not in Zimbabwe, where we are being robbed of our rights in broad daylight. L Rwadiwa, Harare
President Thabo Mbeki and all government leaders have a moral obligation, to demand smart sanctions against Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, his government officials and the ruling party leaders. Anything less than this would be hypocrisy and double standards and would make them unworthy of the positions they hold, as they have been entrusted by South African citizens to be custodians of democracy, human rights and sound governance.
If our leaders can silently watch the suffering of our neighbors, we can only assume that they would do the same in South Africa. The lack of decisive action against Mugabe and his private war for power, which has caused misery and human suffering for thousands of Zimbabweans, should be abhorred by all South Africans.
Without democracy, adherence to and respect for the rule of law and basic human rights in Zimbabwe, and with consent and justification by our leaders for the atrocities in Zimbabwe, our leaders will have sentenced the vision of an African Renaissance to the status of a pipe dream, Harry Potter land and foolish rhetoric. H McComb, Observatory, Cape
The fiasco of the two-month run-up to the Zimbabwe elections makes every decent person everywhere foam at the mouth with indignation. All except the South African government, of whom I am heartily ashamed.
The way the Zimbabwe people are treated, the beatings, torture, their IDs being confiscated, the long inhumane queues, draw the empathy of ordinary citizens everywhere. Government figureheads in our region, however, remain mysteriously aloof and indifferent.
The monstrous dictator in Harare sees the ordinary people who are not his paid employees and cronies as the stepping stone to his own survival and power, and is willing to trample them into dust so long as he continues to live in luxury. Is this the mindset of African leaders?
Let them not speak then of “democracy”, “people power” or “renaissance” for their deeds make mockery of their words. How long must the people suffer?
A big “thank you” to the journalists who have worked overtime and tirelessly to bring the truth, and in spite of discouragement. Viva the Zimbabwean people,who risked so much to vote, a privilege that many of us take lightly. KR Rapley, Nieuw Muckleneuk, Pretoria
Nepad an acronym meaning New Partnership for African Development has at its heart a change in the way Africa governs itself, with good governance, democracy, human rights, sound economic management and a clampdown on corruption being the cornerstones of Africa’s contribution to the new partnership. The developed world’s contribution to the new partnership would be increased investment and aid flows, poverty alleviation and meaningful, long-term participation in Africa’s economic regeneration.
However, President Thabo Mbeki’s response to the Zimbabwe presidential election crisis has been to condone and protect Zimbabwe’s vicious dictator every step of the way, right through to an election rigged by every possible means ranging from nationwide violence against opposition supporters to direct disenfranchisement of more than 400 000 urban voters in Harare. At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Australia, Mbeki said that anyone calling for the suspension of Zimbabwe was a white racist. But the voters of Zimbabwe have shown that it is not white racists but the Zimbabwean people who are in the forefront of wishing to suspend Mugabe, and would be grateful if Mbeki would stop propping him up. By his actions, Mbeki would condemn Zimbabweans to live under a brutal corrupt dictatorship, and to suffer widespread poverty and starvation.
Mbeki’s actions will certainly undermine the original intention of Nepad, a programme and vision that Africa desperately needs. Instead the developed world will realise that Thabo is not serious about democracy, but merely wants another bite at the lush cherry of donor funding. Nepad will henceforth come to mean Mbeki’s cunning plan for a New Extension of Privileges for African Dictators.
Zimbabweans perceive that Mbeki is following very much in Mugabe’s footsteps. The paranoia, the lust for concentrating power in his own hands, the hatred and disregard for any criticism no matter how practical or well meant, the obsessive behaviour, the willingness to use the race card to divert attention from uncomfortable issues; these are tricks learnt from Mugabe.
South Africa must find a new leader. Mbeki must go. R Owen, Harare
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