Zimbabwe

[DaveW]

Zimbabwe is a place me may see in the news more often. It looks like it is about to become an "official" dictatorship. The country is already in a humanitarian crisis and could become the next Somalia.

The recent round up of "illegal anti-govenment protests" and arrests of political opposition leaders:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2954966.stm

The CIA factbook on the country:

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/zi.html

[nVidi0t]

I feel sorry for the white farmers who actually gave that country some resources/income.

[netviper13]

Life expectancy of 36.5 years? Damn that sucks.

[Sazar]

Originally posted by DaveW
Zimbabwe is a place me may see in the news more often. It looks like it is about to become an "official" dictatorship. The country is already in a humanitarian crisis and could become the next Somalia.

The recent round up of "illegal anti-govenment protests" and arrests of political opposition leaders:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2954966.stm

The CIA factbook on the country:

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/zi.html

lol... about to become an official dictatorship

you obviously have not been in africa the past 15 odd years or so :)

no offence intended m8.. but AFAIK zimbabwe has been a dictatorship for a LONG time...

mugabe did all he could to stay in power last time round and seeing as how close the elections were he is obviously looking to KEEP power any way possible..

seeing the economic situation there... it is obvious why he wants the land from the white farmers... it is not so much an issue about whites v/s blacks... it is more a diversionary tactic..

people worry about the white/black issue.. they do not care so much about the domestic economy going down the drain...

the life expectancy is unduly influenced by the high infant mortality rates and large numbers of children @ 5 and under...

in fairness to the people of zimbabwe.. the white farmers had the land... but it was TAKEN from the people of rhodesia by the brits... so blame them... not zimbabwe...

not everything the brits have done over the years has been in the best interest of the countries in which they did 'business' (no offense to the current british residents on these forums.. I myself am educated per cambridge guidelines)

[SurfMonkey]

My fiance was in Zimbabwe just as the trouble broke out over land repatriation - read the elections were coming up and the MDC looked like they were in with a chance.

She had to go into hiding in the bush for five months until she could get out of the country. That was quite a long time to hear nothing, only read bad things in the press.

I've been to Zimbabwe as well, it's a beautiful country and it's full of really friendly people. Mugabe is a crazy dictator who is more interested in the diamonds in the Congo than he is with his own people. The way the MDC were cheated in the elections and then their supporters hounded and beaten it just sick.

When Arap Moi was in power in Kenya, I was there during the elections when armed *unknowns* (army) killed hundreds of people because they had voted for the opposition.

Zimbabwe is just the next african country to fall, it was once the richest and most productive of all the east african states, now it can't feed it's own people and is bankrupt.

Africa is such a beautiful country, it's a real shame to see this happen. :(

[nVidi0t]

I understand why Mugabe wants the farmland for the natives, but instead of evicting them, they murder and rape the white families and burn all of the land. So it was a useless racial purge.

[vampireuk]

Sazar the white farmers who have had their land taken away had it taken by Mugabe. He has ruined the country himself and turns around and blames Britain, the guy is a grade one prick.

[sytaylor]

Originally posted by Sazar
in fairness to the people of zimbabwe.. the white farmers had the land... but it was TAKEN from the people of rhodesia by the brits... so blame them... not zimbabwe...

not everything the brits have done over the years has been in the best interest of the countries in which they did 'business' (no offense to the current british residents on these forums.. I myself am educated per cambridge guidelines)

Ok how are the people benefiting from the white farmers being removed might i ask? The zimbabwae economy is going down the drain and they have an economic and humanitatirian crisis.

Two wrongs don't make a right, mugabe is just as racist as hitler was. He needs removing just like hitler did, the only difference is he doesn't have the same kind of power.

Plus to "own" land you need the deeds to it, something that never existed in zimbabwae before the brits arrived. This reminds me of the "what did the romans ever do for us" sketch on Monty Pyhtons Life of Brian.

[nVidi0t]

Vamp said it best. He's a Grade A Idiot who needs removing, America should liberate Zimbabwe next.

[de><ta]

worry about Zimbabwe, no way. Even if we rain "freedom" down on their asses, the country will still go to dogs in a couple of years. The lack of education and "white collar" corruption bring down countries such as zimbabwe real fast.

America should take a closer look in the eastern side of the world ie. North Korea and China. Its wierd how the US news is not reflecting some of the more hostile views those countries have against the US.

[Sazar]

Originally posted by vampireuk
Sazar the white farmers who have had their land taken away had it taken by Mugabe. He has ruined the country himself and turns around and blames Britain, the guy is a grade one prick.

I am not saying he's not :)

but the feelings of the non-white zimbabweans has been pretty much the same for a long time.. the white farmlands should go back to the people... unfortunately mugabe is advocating this in the worst possible way and @ the worst possible time for the people and best for himself...

keep em occupied with other stuff and he will prevail :(

sytaylor.. I agree with you... but the whole owning land by deeds thing is not universal.. or was not... ergo just coz it was not so did not mean the lands were free to take...

mugabe is not doing right... and the white farmers are being completely unfairly treated... but unfortunately as I said this is just a convenient time for mugabe to take advantage of underlying feelings that have existed for longer than the last couple of years...

[vampireuk]

The "white farmland" should not change hands at all. You can see quite obviously that with Mugabes land grabbing he is handing over land to people who have no idea how to farm. At least with the farms in place there was the ability to feed the country. Now with the ethnic cleansing going on everybody is screwed there.

As for the underlying feelings....have you seen the huge protests that go on there? If a fair election was set up Mugabe would be out by a land slide, that I would bet money on.

[Sazar]

Originally posted by vampireuk
The "white farmland" should not change hands at all. You can see quite obviously that with Mugabes land grabbing he is handing over land to people who have no idea how to farm. At least with the farms in place there was the ability to feed the country. Now with the ethnic cleansing going on everybody is screwed there.

As for the underlying feelings....have you seen the huge protests that go on there? If a fair election was set up Mugabe would be out by a land slide, that I would bet money on.

I know what you are saying :)

heck I spent a long time with many people who were exiles from zimbabwe... and THEY were not happy with the white farmers even though it was because of mugabe they had to leave..

I do not agree with the land grabbing though... there are other ways to sort this out... arbitration by an international body being the prime way I would think.. and yes... of course the people being given the land have no clue.. but thats partly coz mugabe does not CARE... happy daft people == more votes for him init ?

there are protests but again most of the protests are in the urbanised areas... and considering MOST of the population is in the rural areas.. it is not quite representative... its not like a developed nation... unfortunately :(

but yes... mugabe barely won the last elections and w/o intimidation and stuffing the ballot boxes he would not have won...

people will eventually wake up to how bad a leader he truly is... unfortunately in the mean time the white farmers will continue to suffer in the interim :(