Mugabe - The 30 Year Slide From Liberator To Dictator

As I have intimated many times, Mugabe's longevity in power is largely based upon the violence that he is able to mete out against his real and perceived opponents. And, I am glad to say, this has not been gone totally unnoticed in the free world.

"Today marks 30 years since Robert Mugabe rose to power, and you can't help but feel a sense of remorse for what might have been. Having helped defeat the racist minority white government of Ian Smith, many hoped Mugabe would be the person to lead the nation from its tumultuous past and achieve prosperity for all its people.

"I wish to assure you that there can never be any return to the state of armed conflict which existed before our commitment to peace and the democratic process of election..." Mugabe declared back in 1980. "The wrongs of the past must now stand forgiven and forgotten. If ever we look to the past, let us do so for the lesson the past has taught us, that oppression and racism are inequalities [we should shun]."

While the initial message was one of peace and harmony, Mugabe's attempts to shape the country as he saw fit would instead lead his people through many years of strife, hardship and even death.

Without doubt there have been many highlights during Mugabe's lengthy tenure, most notably his remarkable success in tackling illiteracy."

One of the first atrocities that Mugabe visited upon the people of Zimbabwe, was the Gukurahundi. Mugabe believed that Joshua Nkomo's former fighters were returning to the bush, intent on fighting Mugabe's people for the Zimbabwean crown. His response was as swift as it was violent.

The Fifth Brigade - a Korean-trained specialist brigade of soldiers that knew nothing of the sanctity of life - were sent into Matabeleland and the Midlands and between 20 and 30 thousand people were killed.

Mugabe refuses to apologise for the massacres stating that the Gukurahundi was a 'moment of madness'.

Then came the 'land grab' - seen as a furious reaction to the rejection of a new constitution in a referendum in early 2000.

With his call to invade white-owned commercial farms, Mugabe dropped all pretence of being benevolent, urging his people to take what they wanted, when they wanted, as they wanted.

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"Zimbabwe was once again thrust into the limelight a decade ago when Mugabe authorised 'land grabs' of white owned farms across the country.

Thousands of Zimbabweans found themselves forcibly removed from their homes, but the biggest impact of the move would be felt by the economy: Zimbabwe is heavily reliant on commercial agriculture and the industry was essentially decimated in the early 2000s."

Commercial farmers and their workers were murdered - and yet not one of the named perpetrators of these acts has been arraigned in court for their actions. Not one person has spent an hour in custody for these murders.

"With the economy in tatters and poverty rife, many people felt that new leadership with fresh ideas was needed in order to steer the nation towards some semblance of normality. Support for Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) grew steadily and Mugabe soon found himself facing a very real threat.

The response from government was one of violence and intimidation, with MDC rallies routinely ambushed by supporters of Mugabe's ZANU PF party. It has been reported that more than 300 MDC supporters have been killed in the past 10 years, mainly at the hands of Mugabe's militant backers.

Nonetheless, the intimidation failed to sufficiently quell the opposition and many believed the 2008 national elections could finally signal an end to his 18-year reign. But the elections were marred by political violence and widespread allegations of vote rigging by the ruling party."

Even though Tsvangirai was the obvious winner of the elections, a reign of terror ensued and Mugabe was elected as President again in a one-man sham election following Tsvangirai's withdrawal.

Today - two years after his defeat - Mugabe remains in power and his party continues to hold the reins of power.

How is this acceptable in the free world? Mugabe doesn't care as any action to oppose his rule is met with allegations of 'regime change' or 'racism'... and his ZANU PF party continues to steal the people's mandate.

Their continued hold on power is against the wishes of the people, but for Mugabe, possession is nine-tenths of the law.

"And so Zimbabwe enters a new chapter, and still Mugabe clings onto power, now aged 86. Having freed the Zimbabwean people from a racist government, he had the opportunity to create a legacy of prosperity, of unity. Instead, he delivered despair and poverty.

As a nation, they will have to bear the burden of those failings."

So much for the Zimbabwean 'liberator'

Robb WJ Ellis

The Bearded Man