tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038948842352884237.post2164545986980889962..comments2023-03-26T00:21:24.642-07:00Comments on Zimbabwe Image: Simba Makoni: Brishit-ZANU win win situation??Zimbabwe Imagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13050566597769293839noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038948842352884237.post-76046077062006472442008-02-20T07:47:00.000-08:002008-02-20T07:47:00.000-08:00Robert Mugabe: Strengths: Has strong liberation cr...Robert Mugabe: <BR/>Strengths: Has strong liberation credentials.Led ZANLA and ZANU_PF to victory in 1980. Is well educated. Responsible for earlier successful educational policies making Zimbabwe the one of the biggest sources of skills. Manages to fool Africa and the world as an Anti-colonial nationalist though he would rather his offspring live in London.<BR/><BR/>Weaknesses:At 84 is too old. Has allowed corruption to flourish under his watch. Corrupt senior officials never touched. Lacks modesty. While his ministers and officials drive brand new cars acquired with scarce forex hospitals don’t have drugs. There does not seem to be prioritization. Blames western sanctions for suffering. What is never admitted is that Ian Smith kept Industry running under the same sanction and also war. Hospitals were fully functional. Smith and his ministers were modest yet Mugabe maintains a long car motorcade. He also has blood in his hands:Launched Gukurahundi in the 1980s with his friend Enos Nkala ( of the ‘War unto ZAPU peace unto the people fame”). The Murambatsvina is still fresh so is the Chiminya killing. His officials enjoy flounting their wealth in a ‘sea of poverty’. His main support is from those benefiting from the crisis:those getting free fuel,forex ,farms .Zimbabwe can only vote for this man if they want to continue to suffer. If Zimbabweans still believe in the ‘ideals of the liberation struggle’ then its time we dumped Robert Mugabe. His programs and policies have only benefited the corrupt few. <BR/><BR/><BR/>Morgan Tsvangirai:<BR/>Strengths:A brave man.The man should be credited with building the first non-tribal opposition party in Zimbabwe. The party that cut across racial line. The MDC is the party that showed Zimbabweans that indeed ZANU-PF can be opposed. Morgan has strong organizational ability. <BR/><BR/>Weakness: The failure to provide leadership leading to the split has been his weakest point. The failure to agree to unite the party has been Morgan Tsvangirai’s most disappointing action. Granted that he is not alone to blame but an impression is created that MDC does not worry about the suffering of the people rather than the positions. The fact that the unity talks collapsed around the issue of ‘seats ‘ is very embarrassing to some of us who had such a high regard for Tsvangirai. This is also not helped by the violence perpetrated on other MDC supporters by factions within the main MDC wing. A picture emerges unfortunately which paints Morgan as a potential dictator. If Mugabe was the only other candidate then Tsvangirai was going to March to State house. He has been Mugabe’s victim and so those opposed to Mugabe were going to back him.If he loses he will surely blame himself for his selfish actions.<BR/><BR/>Simba Makoni: <BR/>Strengths:Highly educated. A business man. Has international experience. Has liberation credentials. He is independent minded unlike the other 'Mugabe's wives'. Has been called a ‘sellout ‘ for speaking his mind. Unlike other cabinet ministers he was the first to admit that the country suffers not because of sanctions but ‘failure of leadership .Has naturally filled the gap created by the failure to unite MDC. Will receive massive votes from MDC and angry ZANU-PF supporters <BR/><BR/>Weakness: Stayed too long in ZANU_PF hoping for reform.Treated with suspicion though this is changing following a stinging attacks by the ‘ZANU-PF ‘ aligned Herald, Chronicle and ZBC. <BR/><BR/>His support base does not seem extend to the rural areas. ZANU-PF normal makes the rural areas ‘no-go-areas’. He seems to be another Mbeki, very aloof. Is loved by the majority of Zimbabwe internet forum users. If this can translate to votes then Simba Makoni can win the Presidential elections which will be best for Zimbabwe. He needs to attracts sufficient votes from disgruntled ZANU-PF supporters and Zimbabweans angered by the collapse of MDC supporters. One can see that the only reason why ‘big guns’ in ZANU-PF don’t openly support him is fear of losing the ‘feeding trough’.Mpangazithahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06994680912439244804noreply@blogger.com