You are ignorant, you do not have an idea what suffering we have enjured under Mugabe. We have had election and that has been stolen too. What difference is there to me a black Zimbabwean between Mugabe and the white colonial master. They still take the land and share between themselves, his friends and family. Do you know how many people benefited from the land reform program. I will tell you, the same number as those who lost their land. We have replaced White farmers with another crop of (White farmers) mugabe and his friends. I was one of the first people who applied for the land and guess what I have nothing so are millions of Zimbabwe like me. You should not write these academic ill informed articles. These articles are so in line with what Mugabe and his friends who are crippling our country would write but not an ordinary Zimbabwean. Leave Morgan alone, he is our one and only hope in the middle of the corrupt, cruel and selfish rule of Mugabe.

"Do you know how many people benefited from the land reform program."

300,000 and counting.

Unfortunately those 300,000 are also the ones (in the main, not in every case) the ones who have destroyed Zimbabwes food production and export industries ..... thats a real benefit isn't it?

exactly. how many Zimbabweans are now hungry and living off 1 aid given meal per day because the farming production has been desecrated by the Zim government?

Mere growing pains TW. As soon as they figure out a way to circumvent western sanctions and get the inputs that they need, hopefully with help from their Asian friends, they'll become very productive. They will again be the Great Zimbabwe, thanks to Mr. Mugabe and other conscious people like him.

you mean sanctions like the chinese have on Zimbabwe also? well they did refuse to lend money to Zim now didnt they. or did you mean the sanctions on government travel. Surely not. As for asian friends. They only want your minerals. Now go and get yourself a 4.5 million pound mansion from the chinese like mugabe did. what a racist sellout.

Growing pains?

The people that are on the farms do not have the agricultural knowledge to farm them ..... that isn't growing pains, that is criminal mismanagement and corruption.

IF it had been done in a sensible manner where time had been allowed to train up the farmers to work the land, then this situation wouldn't have arisen in the first place.

Wake up and smell the coffee dj, Mugabe's land reform program was an almost total disaster because he (and his party) wouldn't look at the long term view.

And as for all this BS about sanctions, up until the latest tightening there have been no economic sanctions against ZIMBABWE ..... they have been against ROBERT MUGABE and members of ZANU PF, and even then only affecting their personal finances and travel outside the country.

Forgive my netiquette here, but I am going to emphasise this question:

HOW CAN SUCH SANCTIONS AFFECT A COUNTRY'S ECONOMY UNLESS THE GOVERNMENT HAVE THEIR 'HAND IN THE COOKIE JAR'?

The answer is that they can't ..... RGM may be your hero, but sooner or later you're going to have to come out of denial and face the fact that your real enemy is running Zimbabwe into the ground.

This is the most single-minded article I believe I have ever read. The author clarly has lasting prejudices against America and the European countries which controlled many African nations in one way or another. I'm not agreeing that this control was positive or the way these African countires should be ruled. But it has been over 20 years since Zimbabwe has been free and it had become a prosperous nation. Mugabe has soiled the reputation he created as a leader and is now viewed as nothing more than a dictator by fellow African leaders. This article was a joke from the start aimed only at attacking the United States and Europe whose problem this no longer is. Excellent way to show pure prejudice in writing.

Baasi!! 20 years is nothing compared with over 60 years since the end of the last European war and the people of Europe have not forgotten . However we should draw a line and start afresh. but forget ... never. How can l forget all the racism of the Rhodies aand yet RGM allowed IDSmith to live unharassed. God bless Gt Zimbabwe and our leadership. Both the president and BitiChamisa/ Tsvangirai deserve our prayers. MAKOROKOTO VARUME. RAMBAI MAKADERO

You are right, the European people have not forgotten World War 2, and neither should they, but do you see them villifying Germany (in fact it was the rest of Europe that assisted in the rebuilding of German cities that were practically destroyed in the war within 10 years of the end)

Wars and occupations should never be forgotten, because if they are, then all lessons learned during that time and after are also gone forever.

The problem comes when people will not let it go, will not move on from that time, and thats the point where those people become slaves ..... not to whites, not to the west, and not to anyone outside themselves, they become slaves to their own history.

While they remain slaves to their history there can be no forward movement, the people (and if you're unlucky enough to have one of these slaves in power) the country will stagnate and rot from the inside. And then comes the second problem, because these people are trapped in a past time, they have a clear avenue of blame ..... even though the ones who have let go can clearly see that the blame lies in the policies that were designed for a time that has long gone.

Learn the lessons and move forward, repeating the mistakes of the past, and of others, can only lead to problems.

And yet you ran away from the rule of your RGM to settle in a land under colonial rule...you are so thick its unreal aka. you had life so good in Rhodesia under smith mate. admit it..which is why you are now in a country where you can drink your tea ne bready and jamu...things mugrabby made it impossible for you to afford!

Baasi!! Acyually l left Rhodesia and not Great Zimbabwe. The fact that l am out of Zimbabwe does not entitle you to interfere and meddle in the affairs of Zimbabwe. l do not meddle in English politics except occasionally vote for the Conservative party because it is the Tories who gave us our idependence after the long dilly-dallying by Labour leadership. lf the consevatives were in power there would not be all this blood letting between Great Zimbabwe and England. The party of Thatcher, Harold Macmillan and Enoch Powell provides reliable leadership to the world, including the USA. l was already in England when Thatcher came to power ... what a relief it was for very good reasons ....the main one being that she called a spade a spade. Period. She was not a RACIST like you and your type. She was a resolute leader like the president of Great Zimbabwe Robert Gabriel Mugabe. As a son of Zimbabwe, mwana we vu, Morgan Tsvangirai has a lot to contribute to the good of Zimbabwe. But as l am one of very few Africans who attended SABA meetings which Tsvangi addressed, I know he was ill advised to approve (Morgan never asked for sanctions) the imposition of ECONOMIC SANCTIONS to be a tool to prise off the sitting government from power. These Anglos-international did not care about the likely suffering of Tsvangi's own country and his own people. My goodness practically all his anglo advisers are colonials or just economic mercenaries. But now we want to move forward and all Zimbabweans should learn to leave politics to the politicians like the English do or the Americans do .... l should know because l lived in the midwest for a while. l was impressed by the workings of American democracy ... which is not the same as the system operating in England which is a kingdom or Queendom

Couple of points here.

Firstly, you claim to vote for the party of Enoch Powell ..... maybe you should look at some of his speeches, as well as other aspects about him (The 'Rivers of Blood' speech is particularly illustrative of this point). He was an out and out racist.

Secondly, the sanctions, up until the last tightening were not against Zimbabwe, they were against individuals in the government ..... and only to the extent of limiting travel and freezing assets. The only way that these could have affected the Zimbabwean economy is if the assets that were frozen were ones that should rightfully have been in Zimbabwe, and should rightly have been the property of the Zimbabwean people, not just the few ZANU PF party faithful that got to treat Zimbabwe like their own personal piggy banks.

Baasi!! Acyually l left Rhodesia and not Great Zimbabwe. The fact that l am out of Zimbabwe does not entitle you to interfere and meddle in the affairs of Zimbabwe. l do not meddle in English politics except occasionally vote for the Conservative party because it is the Tories who gave us our idependence after the long dilly-dallying by Labour leadership. lf the consevatives were in power there would not be all this blood letting between Great Zimbabwe and England. The party of Thatcher, Harold Macmillan and Enoch Powell provides reliable leadership to the world, including the USA. l was already in England when Thatcher came to power ... what a relief it was for very good reasons ....the main one being that she called a spade a spade. Period. She was not a RACIST like you and your type. She was a resolute leader like the president of Great Zimbabwe Robert Gabriel Mugabe. As a son of Zimbabwe, mwana we vu, Morgan Tsvangirai has a lot to contribute to the good of Zimbabwe. But as l am one of very few Africans who attended SABA meetings which Tsvangi addressed, I know he was ill advised to approve (Morgan never asked for sanctions) the imposition of ECONOMIC SANCTIONS to be a tool to prise off the sitting government from power. These Anglos-international did not care about the likely suffering of Tsvangi's own country and his own people. My goodness practically all his anglo advisers are colonials or just economic mercenaries. But now we want to move forward and all Zimbabweans should learn to leave politics to the politicians like the English do or the Americans do .... l should know because l lived in the midwest for a while. l was impressed by the workings of American democracy ... which is not the same as the system operating in England which is a kingdom or Queendom

Baasi!! Acyually l left Rhodesia and not Great Zimbabwe. The fact that l am out of Zimbabwe does not entitle you to interfere and meddle in the affairs of Zimbabwe. l do not meddle in English politics except occasionally vote for the Conservative party because it is the Tories who gave us our idependence after the long dilly-dallying by Labour leadership. lf the consevatives were in power there would not be all this blood letting between Great Zimbabwe and England. The party of Thatcher, Harold Macmillan and Enoch Powell provides reliable leadership to the world, including the USA. l was already in England when Thatcher came to power ... what a relief it was for very good reasons ....the main one being that she called a spade a spade. Period. She was not a RACIST like you and your type. She was a resolute leader like the president of Great Zimbabwe Robert Gabriel Mugabe. As a son of Zimbabwe, mwana we vu, Morgan Tsvangirai has a lot to contribute to the good of Zimbabwe. But as l am one of very few Africans who attended SABA meetings which Tsvangi addressed, I know he was ill advised to approve (Morgan never asked for sanctions) the imposition of ECONOMIC SANCTIONS to be a tool to prise off the sitting government from power. These Anglos-international did not care about the likely suffering of Tsvangi's own country and his own people. My goodness practically all his anglo advisers are colonials or just economic mercenaries. But now we want to move forward and all Zimbabweans should learn to leave politics to the politicians like the English do or the Americans do .... l should know because l lived in the midwest for a while. l was impressed by the workings of American democracy ... which is not the same as the system operating in England which is a kingdom or Queendom

you left it a bit late didn't you?? I would have thought you would have got out at the first opportunity..looks like you did though...the minute the country changed from white rule to balck rule...you were on the first plane out for by my understanding..thatcher came to power roughly a few months before your zero mugabe. what has kept you here then matey..why are you not back in your homeland?? you also laughingy claim not to meddle in british politics...ummmvoting in british elections is meddling in british politics bright spark!!! thought I would make the connection for you!! face it..you too love the whites..but have to pretend to hate them because you know returning to gwimbabwe will spell hardship for your spoilt british lifestyle you have enjoyed!!! the very same lifestyle you saw evaporating before your eyes when mugarbage took over!!! and you have the temerity to preach to us about morality..you ought to hang your head in shame...how can you qualify to comment on zims if it is years since you set foot in your homeland..you are a disgrace to the black race and you condemn yourself by your actions!!!!!

'Mate',Tell us about the lately denial of Muslims from building a Muslim school in one Australian neighbourhood/area. You'll do youself justice if you give us some highlights as to whether they were allowed or not. Let us see how good you are at Propaganda and I will tell you what was exactly said on public TV in front of me in broad day light.

Yes, because the British were the ones that threw Mandela in prison. That was the Dutch Boers, not the British. Kinda throws the rest of your article into perspective, if you can't even get that correct.

Your points have no merits. The state of Africa's social, economic and political affairs are despicable not because of the actions of the west, but that of the very leaders you are trying to defend. How on earth can you defend Mugabe and the president of Sudan? These two leaders have no moral virtues and they have no empathy for the citizenry of their country. They have inflicted more harm to their country than both colonialism and cold war ever did.

Dont read in between the lines. The writer really understands the power game the west is playing.They preach about human rights abuses and who is going to pay for all the lives lost in Iraq? If they cause wars and loss of lives they say nothing about it and make sure no one else says anthing about it. Look at ther hepocresy they instead invite their puppet the Ethiopian leader to the G8 because the killings are to their aproval, what about Isrial no one says nothing. Mugabe's crime is that he had the guts to tell them about their hepocrecy. Not that we condone the killing but the opposition had their fair share of play. They killed they raped and maimed innocent people. Who was on record talking about removing the government violently and even went on to say what happened in Kenya is nothing as compared to what will happen in Zim. Gentlemen don't be fooled and don't ever think that all the technology originated from the west.

You can't even spell English right so don't pretend like you know anything about the motives of the West. How is that when the United States kills people in Iraq who are out to undermind the fledging Iraqi state its imperialism, but when Mugbabe slaughters his own country men for no good reason its justified, right and even praiseworthy? Do not try to call us on our contradictions; the credibility of Africa's leaders is breaking apart under the weight of its own.

Yes the west will do what benefits the west, but African leaders are not children, they can stop themselves from killing people. For example: recently the west was singing and dancing about mugabi, while inviting Melese Zenawi, who is killing people in Ethiopia and Somalia, for the G8 summit. Mr Zenawi is the greaters enemy Ethiopia has nevr seen, he recently gave fertile land as big as Norway to Sudan secretly, displacing thousands of people. But because he is the african poodle for western government he will carry on killing people curtosy of Western Governments.

So African leaders must learn to stop killing people before they say anything about the west.

Mandela is a good example: he was in power, he chose not to creat chaose. Therefore others should take responsibility for their action.

I hope I will see the day the ICC will charge Melese Zenawi of war crimes.

As for AU, i think it should be renamed as ADU - African Dictators Union.

Betty, London

Are African leaders subhuman who can't think for themselves? why are they using the west's OR the East's weapons to slaughter their own people just to hang on to power? the writer must not be an Afrcan or a human being, if he is he must be among the butcherers who is afraid of being prosecuted for crimes against humanity.you must be writing for people that live in another planet not for African people who live here on Earth, because it's far from the reality.

The author states that the West is to blame for violence in Africa because it supplies weapons to Africans. This ignores the responsibility of a person who takes a weapon, points it at a countryman and pulls the trigger but the author later states that the weapons embargo being proposed is "a clear signal for attacks on Zimbabwe." You can not have it both ways.

The writer has got some points... only those chaps that do not want to hear the truth are whining about the facts presented in the story.

Africans should learn that no one will look after their interests other than themselves... the so called west are just exploiters... nothing else.

The AU should exert its influence over african affairs from now onwards.... the latest posture has been a marvel to watch.

All african Resources... should be controlled by africans just like the way Russians are doing... no wonder the western guys are bitter... BP has has lost its grip on Russian oil through that 50/50 JV.

He does have some points, but they are presented in a one sided and biased manner.

He talks about western weapons keeping the wars going and ignores the supplies that have traditionally and still come from the east ..... I assume these are only for defence and don't actually get used?

He talks about the western exploitations, yet ignores the clear and present danger that the resources that should be in African hands are slowly but surely being farmed out to the Chinese and Russians ..... which will eventually lead to the same situation, but with a different 'Master'.

People like the author of this piece are so enthusiastic about looking at the past that they refuse to look into the future, or even in most cases at the present. And I also wish people like him would differentiate between the 'Faceless West' and the western governments, because I actually take offence at the suggestion that every person who happens to live in the west is a racist, exploiting, demonic, morally devoid monster.

well said...reading the article you would be mistaken to believe the west forces its weapons on africa. Curious though how he did not mention the chinese ship stocked with bullets bound for zimbabwe. it is always the west!

As an African I say Africans need to stop passing blames on others for the past. Was Africa the only place that was colonized?

Lets face it, one of the main problem we have is our so called leaders.(I prefer to call them rulers) and their main problem is called GREED.

There are countries that went through very hard situations but still rose up. Look at Japan. After hiroshima and you would think Japan would never rise up again. We all know that they rose up much higher than anybodies expectations. WHY? Instead of sitting there and whining, they began to use their brains. Now they give aid to other countries so much in Africa!!

We whine about not enough aid given to us. It should be a shame to whine. In my growing up, I know that if somebody is wanting to help you, its very much up to him. He is not obligated. And how much he will give you is up to him/her.

Advice: We need to change our education system to be job makers, instead of job seekers and the people who get to be presidents should stop their greed.

An interesting article about the current state of western world and Africa. While I do not believe this is a culture war, but certainly there are elements of Cold wars. I have said many times on this website that the UK is particularly one of the most disliked gov’t in Africa. Africans simply do not look to the UK nowadays. In fact, there is a deep resentment of Anglo’s because of Zimbabwe.

Is Tsvangirai the new Savimbi? Interesting question and which most Zimbabweans are interested in having Tsvangirai answer. Like Savimbi, Tsvangirai has won the majority vote, but failed to be President. Tsvangirai, like Savimbi’s western association, make them weak in the eyes of the African majority. While the British press sing his praise (hypocritical Praises of Mandela!), most Zimbabweans are still suspicious of Tsvangirai, even though they majority voted for him. Tsvangirai must articulate an African messenge that is not a Briton version of “how things ought to be”.

As a product of British education (Anglo teachers) I remain very skeptical of the “make over” that Britons want with Africa. British/African relationships are now much worse than say 20 years ago. Anglo British people simply rub most of us in the wrong way. I find Afrikaners much straightforward than today’s Anglos.

Mandela was imprisoned by the Boers not British, and Mugabe by Ian Smith's UDI regime I suppose. While colonialism and the cold war had their share on Africa's plight it is cruel and insensitive to the victims (women and children in particular) for the writer to glorify despots and murderers. To blame colonialism for African leaders' failures half a century after independence is to absolve the African leaders of their misrule. If the writer is right why then are countries like Botswana and Mauritius prosperous? If Tsvangirai personnifies Savimbi he wouldn't have pulled out of a murderous election which Mugabe and the writer relish. Russia and China are protecting their own interests not Africa's. It will be a shame for AU to protect Bashir for his atrocities against black Africans. The likes of him should know they can be picked one by one as the author said, perhaps that wll make them think twice before they play with human life. Africa's women and children have had enough and it has to stop!!

This is another bogus example of paranoia about the West in African media. The assertions made in this piece - that the West is to blame for all of Africa's ills - are old, worn, and were never interesting even when they were fresh. Aside from that, they are completely bogus.

Get over yourself: Somalia collapsed because of bad leadership, not because of 'western weapons.' Western food aid, on the contrary, has been deployed at the cost of many millions of dollars to keep people fed, despite the influx of cheap arms, not from the West, but from China and the USSR. Get over yourself and stop blaming us for all your problems. Africa deserves a more sophisticated discourse from one of its own, lest those of us who observe from the outside interject ourselves and be blamed for your interfering. Shame on you.

apark....well done for that well rounded post. But I fear you wasted your time..the west haters(who actually fled african rule and are now living in the very same west) are too thick to work it out. the only sense they had they used it all up to get on the first plane out of zimboland bound for a western country where they now bite the hand that feeds them. talk of ingratitude!!!!

The west think that Zimbabwe is made up off semi-illiterate Africans like they are in other Countris ? Let the West think again what they can offer before Morgan Tsvangirai can take over command of one of Africa's educated Country. He (Morgan Tsvangirai) has not yet told us the way forward. Mugabe could be bad, but then what do we gain in the change of power. Change is not just for venture. Take the change to Cameroon where Anglophones are being considered foriegners in their own Country; better still, where the CPDM of Mr. Paul Biya has become the panacea for getting a means of survival but the corruption is growing everyday to become a legalised practice. Zimbabwe is doing better than most of African Countries. I love thier steadfstness, unbending to Western ploys.

Mugabe certainly is unbending to the western ploys that he sees everywhere (especially when he needs a convenient scapegoat to blame his failures and mistakes on), but you missed a few words out ..... Educated yes, steadfast yes, but also starving, oppressed, economically destroyed, industrially wasted ..... the last ones due to one man and his party, stand up and take a bow RG Mugabe.

Well the literacy rate would be hard pressed getting much lower in Zimbabwe.The affects of the last couple of years on education in Zimbabwe with teaches leaving in droves and lack of employment{80+ % unemployment}, means there is not the money in Zimbabwe at present to have anything but basic education for some.The literacy rate over the last few years would have dropped substantially, which makes the recovery of Zimbabwe take much longer. I think you will find the higher literacy rate in Zimbabwe compared to other Africans states is because{yes i know you will hate me saying it}of colonial history and the higher employment and better infrastructure Zimbabwe used to have before mugabe and regime took over.As mugabe and regime have run Zimbabwe into the ground the literacy rate will fall inline with the economy.This is known by anyone with even the basic understanding of how civilizations work. At the moment Zimbabwe Literacy rate is about the same as the unemployment rate, and literacy will be dropping very quickly.

I hope it gets better as soon as possible, because without it it makes it a very long road for Zimbabwe to recover to an economically stable country and then prosper.

Knowledge is power and education in Zimbabwe will help bring prosperity, but education in Zimbabwe has been going downhill for many years, time to change that for the better.The money mugabe wastes on palaces,cars and bribes would be better spent on the children of Zimbabwe's education!

Your comments that Zimbabwean education is getting worse, is not supported by facts. What I see from Anglos is to exaggerate facts in order to say Mugabe is the problem. Zimbabwe is still the most literate country in Africa, inspite of Mugabe. I think you fail to give credit to the people of Zimbabwe, who work hard. Absolutely true that Zimbabwe is having problem. The UK people having lost real world power are trying disparately to us Africa for their own foolish games. UK is projected to be out of the top 20 richest countries in the world within the next 10 years. Can you imagine the lose of self-esteem this will cause Anglos.

Oh Phiri give it up. You talk as though Britain is holding on to dear life because it cannot survive without Zimbabwe. What a laugh!

Of course it is supported by fact.No matter how hard Zimbabwe's good people work the fact remains that to have proper education the eduction system must be there and be of a high standard. The lack of educational resources for so long is having a bad effect on Zimbabwe's younger generation.You cannot educate properly without up to date books and curriculum's.

As i was not talking about the UK, you seem to be obsessed with.

I wonder why nothing has been said in the Zimbabwe newspapers about Zimbabwe cricket being literally banned from international cricket by the other sides?mugabe has destroyed Zimbabwe cricket by stealing its money! Mugabe seems to be hiding the facts about cricket from the good people of Zimbabwe.

West, you are just rumbling about nothing. Zimbabwe has the highest literacy rate in Africa. The hard working people of Zimbabwe are also educated. Do not insult our intelligence! Zimbabwe is a much better educated society than Rhodesia. Ask Zimbabwe’s neighbor who are hiring Zimbabwean professionals. Your focus is Robert Mugabe, but that should not blind us to facts and how bad the Rhodesia situation was.

Cricket was destroyed in Zimbabwe not because of Mugabe, but because of the rotten 15 white Rhodesian rebels who resisted black integration into the sport. I see that you support these racist players. With integration, most of us can celebrate our own players such as Tabu or Sibanda. If Mugabe forced integration, I would still say it was the right decision.

Rhodesian rambblings will get you nowhere. You are outgunned, out numbered, and out witted and quiet frankly you and your Rhodes are largely irrelevant in today’s Zimbabwe. Economically, you are no longer big players anymore…More wealth has moved to the Black majority…you are just running around like chickens whose head has been beheaded.

Bravo Phiri!

"Zimbabwe is a much better educated society than Rhodesia" purely because of the infrastucture and education facilities put in place by the Rhodesian government. Zim was pretty uneducated like the rest of Africa before the Rhodesian government put schooling into place. You cant claim it was all Mugabe and the schools in Zim are 10 years old.

No, Rhodesian was not what made Zimbabweans educated. Check your facts, Zimbabweans did much better after independence. White Rhodesians simply wanted to put blacks under their long pointed noses! Primary education became readily available after independence.

It is just white anglo minority "rubbish" that wants to believe that all good things happened before Robert Mugabe. You also make a mistake that Zimbabweans were not going to school while in exile becausue of that foolish dead Smith. Most Zimbabwean exiles did extremely well while in Zambia, Ghana, Nigeria, the UK and the USA.

Zimbabweans intellegincia has been around over a 100 years. Look at the PhD's and professors and teachers of Zimbabwean origin in Zambia, Botswana, South Africa, Uk, and USA. You claim you are for the ordinary Zimbabweans, how foolish that is to hear...

Most schools in Rhodesia for Africans were put there by Missionaries. The Rhodesian Government did next to nothing for African education compared to what they were doing for whites.

Wales, I agree with you that the basic building block for Zimbabwean education were missiona schools. Both my educated parents attended mission school, both had degrees from abroad. Most teaching schools in Zimbabwe were mission schools.

But advanced level of education (Doctors, Engineers, lawyers, business managers etc) real took place abroad, because even missionaries had limits to what they could do under the regime of Ian Smith and others. But still, much credit goes to Robert Mugabe, when he still had his senses together. There are now 7 universities in Zimbabwe. The Zim gov't expanded education opportunities for all Zimbabweans even in the rural areas, they also reduced school fees. Not too long ago even Botswana was sending it's students to attend secondary education in Zimbabwe. My mother hosted Botswana and Zambian students, whose parents wanted a better education.

Education should not be a political issue, just because of Mugabe. We should celebrate the achievements of Zimbabweans, inspite of Mugabe's madness. Botswana has benefitted tremediously from Zimbabwean teachers in Botswana, who are legal and most have been granted Batswana citizenship.

Rebellious and racist Rhodesian players now (would you like to name these players so I can laugh some more?) ...... you really are starting to see conspiracies everywhere Phiri. There are a few words for people like you, and they include inconsistent, hypocritical and desperate.

Your comment of 'more wealth has moved to the black majority' is priceless ...... most of Zimbabwe are billionaires and still can't afford to feed their families ..... time to get your racist head out of the past and look at the world around you.

Oh shame..they will inject/drown themselves in Drugs.

I am a Cameroonian and an Anglophone at that. Lets face it Anglophones are out numbered. The majority are French speaking so it doesn't matter our say is not going to matter much. Cameroon needs help of course but let's face it Zimbabwe is way worse. The AU is a joke. Us Africans find it hard to share with one another so how in the world are we going to get unified. It's sad. As proud as I am to call myslef African, I am also ashamed of some of the actions of my people.

Afrikan. Give yourself a better pseudoname. Africans have been sharing and are still doing so!!. Where did you grow up? under some kind of a god you blindly worship?. Sharing is a human characteristic only known for Africa. Goodness. Where else do you find humanity..Ubuntu? For us strange travellers even sleep in our homesteads during the hunting times. Tonight apologise to Africans on this platform for dirtifying our name.

This is not about individuals. There are other brave men, women and children who gave up their lives in the name of African liberation. Think about all those Zimbabweans who have suffered for many years. This suffering was created by bad decision made by the mugabe's government. We always go to the extreme when faced with challenges. Good governance does not exist. Why do government have to sacrife, the human, social and physical capital for one issue. How could you turn the whole country in chaos because of one problem. Government with liberal institutions do not have these types of problems.

Mugabe should go and he is on his way out. We are NOW in a phase were opposition parties are vibrant part of political systems in Africa,

Do not even mention Bashir. Who's hero is he? He is the most racist leader. In fact he remiond my at the apartheid leaders. He should keep using the word Kaffur or Kaffer

Do not invent unenecssary labels for people. Tsvangirayi is not a Savimbi but is a simple product of the mismanagement of the Zimbabwean economy by its present rulers. He is still basically a trade unionist trying to get fair wages for workers. We should stop simplifying the world into an East versus West cold war. That kind of view is what gives rise to the unequal treatment of perpetrators of crimes against humanity. We are a global community where all we want is the protection of the security and freedom of every human being without discimination on the basis of nationality, race, colour, gender, age, religion,political belief, geographical location and all the other labels we use to divide ourselves.

You are very ignorant and misinformed. If MDC wanted war, that could have happened sometime ago. The leadership, supporters of MDC and the general population of Zimbabwe have suffered for a longtime and their patience have not worn out to generate into war levels of any sort. From ZANU PF's misdirected economic policies, bad governance, maladministration to personal bittings and killings, we have endured all that. Only a person like you Monitor and your friends in ZANU PF are after war. You are frustrated because of our patience hence our refusal to be driven to war. SHAME! DO you remember how the ZRP manhandled Tsvangirai eversince he became an opposition leader? What of those early victims of political violence (Tichaona Chiminya, Talent Mabika etc) who met their death at the hands of ZANU PF thugs. These are signs of people who are after war. Oh! you are forgetting something of your own here... "ZANU ndiyeropa" (ZANU is of blood, isn't that part of your slogan, the fist doesn't it indicate violent intentions? Whose blood are you talking when you are saying ZANU ndiyeropa? Who do you want to fight when you are raising those fists some of them very old and with blood stains already? Does holding political difference mean that one wants to go into war?

You writings Mr(s) Monitor are a shame and only informs Zimbabweans and the world who you are.

We Zimbabwe Africans have been able to change leadership since the early 1960s. We had Joshua Nkomo, Ndabaningi Sithole, James Chikerema, Abel Muzorewa etc.. Zimbabweans have always been able to make a choice. If there was a better leader Zimbabweans would make that choice. Now to think that MDC is the choice of the people is a gross misunderstanding of politics. MDC is backed by the most powerful nations in the world and they have imposed economic sanctions which have crippled Zimbabwe economy. If ZANU PF manages to get 25%, 30%, 40% 45% or more of the vote, it is a victory for ZANU PF. The fact that MDC did not get a landslide victory in March is a testament to their weakness and the fact that these Western countries are still backing MDC is a big sign of Tsvangirai being another Savimbi. ZANU PF might have done some bad things but it is still better to be killed by your own people than being humiliated by these racist white people. What Mugabe has done is nothing compared to what the Rhodesians did to us from 1890 to 1979. It is better to die under Mugabe than be humiliated by white people under a puppet government. Yes, Mugabe must go but not to be replaced by a puppet, that is worse.

Wales, I've said this so many times before and no-one has yet had an answer for this simple question.

As the sanctions (up until recently) were against individuals in the ZANU PF party, and only affected their personal assets and travel restrictions, how can that destroy the Zimbabwean economy?

It can not do so unless the government officials that have been targetted by these sanctions have been treating 'the economy' as their personal piggy bank and feeding it out of the country.

Face the fact that the economy problem was caused by ZANU PF policies (primarily his placing of 'war veterans' who knew practically nothing about agriculture on farms, without so much as even a basic training in how to work the land) that were implemented in such a way that no other result than complete economic meltdown could have been achieved.

Timberwolf.

If you are a white Zimbabwean or belong to the West I will say you are very intelligent and cunning. If you are a Zimbabwean black then you are the worst idiot in the world and you lack the very basic technicalities of running an economy. Because of this thinking there is no wonder why African economies and politics fail. If you target the CEO/President of a company with sanctions do you think that company will succeed? If the CEO cannot travel to business meetings abroad and every Bank in the world is told not to do business with that CEO, do you think that company will succeed? Negative press has been known to destroy companies and worse countries. The western press, BBC, CNN etc have been at it to destroy the Zimbabwe economy and its leaders. If these individuals targeted for sanctions run major businesses, like banks, key industries in the country wouldn’t that affect the rest of the economy? In reality you cannot execute targeted sanctions without hurting the whole economy. Another thing we already know that these are no targeted sanctions because we have ZIDERA. The whole country is targeted for sanctions. Timberwolf, you are not fooling anyone with this trick. Thanks to Zimbabwe education most Africans are not as naïve as they used to be in the colonial rule you. We are smarter now and we will not be humiliated. It is people like you who try to put wool over our heads and screw us that most of us will go in the trenches and fight shoulder to shoulder with Bob Mugabe against exploiters even if we don’t agree with Mugabe’s policies. Yes I agree Mugabe failed in some areas and that has also happened to the best of them in the West but that should not subject us proud Africans to a puppet government. Many Zimbabweans got land. Some are successful and some are failing. That happened to White Rhodesians who got land between 1890 and 1979. Some failed and some succeded. Read your Rhodesian history. The taking of land from blacks by the Rhodesian Government also caused a lot of sufferng and poverty today among Africans.

Firstly Wales, I'd like to thank you for answering my question, always good to get both sides of the argument. I would also like to thank you for your compliments, however double edged some of them may have been. I will clarify just so that you know which of the guesses at my origin is correct, that I am White and of British origin, I moved to Rhodesia with my parents in the 1970s, stayed through independence and was brought back to Britain against my personal wishes (I was still under the age of 18 when we left therefore did not have a say in the matter). Do I want to see Zimbabwe back on its feet? Yes. Do I want to see the re-colonisation of Zimbabwe by external agencies? No. Do I want to see cooperation between the people of Zimbabwe regardless of race, religion or any other differing factors? Yes.

I agree on certain aspects of your answer, but on the point of the successes and failures of the land distribution, all you need to do is look at the food situation in Zimbabwe today to see what a high proportion of failures there are to the number of successes, indicating on a purely logical level that the method of land distribution was extremely short sighted (and being such it is that that has driven the food production industry into its current dire state)

Likening the country to a business may work in theory, but in practice there are many cases where a company CEO has been targetted with asset freezing (similar to the freezing within the original targetted sanctions on the ZANU PF members) in the legal issues of fraud and embezzlement, yet these companies have not gone bankrupt, they have simply moved on and rebuilt whatever has been damaged by that specific CEO (a situation thats pretty much like what the Mugabe policies have done to Zimbabwe). Also if the situation in Zimbabwe were not as it is, the IMF would still be doing business with Zimbabwe ..... they cut their ties completely independently of the UN or any other body purely for the reason of the state of Zimbabwe at the moment.

And then we get to the industry part (speaking strictly before the latest tightening in sanctions) ..... like the land distribution, the way in which the industries were put under black ownership and running (which is a good thing if done right) was shortsighted in that positions were given to untrained and inexperienced personnel because of their affiliations, therefore lowering the efficiency of these businesses ..... another contributing factor to the economic meltdown.

Again, as far as Rhodesian history goes, I am quite conversant with it, and it is a phase of the country's history that I don't agree with because of the fact that it created a 2 (or even 3) tier social system based on race ..... which is something I'm glad came to an end, and wouldn't like to see recur, but the one thing that Rhodesia did give to Zimbabwe was a fully working, self reliant and self sufficient country (and bearing in mind Rhodesia had almost complete sanctions levied against them it kind of puts the whole 'blame the sanctions' argument into a dubious light), it is the workings of the last 28 years within Zimbabwe government that has created the problems that are faced today.

Ouch, that was a harsh comment.

But then again sometimes the truth will come out that way because there is simply no other way to say it.

Excellently written and certainly to the point, and I agree with you completely.

This opinion is a good personal objective analysis of reality that many are blinded to see. The exploiters are busybodies trying to hit every corner of Africa with whatever means and bribes there are to their disposal.To mention a few: economic sanctions which they worship to work effectively (i.e withdraw supply of products or cooperation), threats to arrest good African leaders who say NO (sign or perish), through NGOs and many known evil ways of conrolling and humiliating our people .They know Africa is the only Continent that has untapped abudant resource fields on which African people sit. These are neo-colonial architects who day and night write "Manuals" titled "How to destabilize newly formed African regional economic blocks to source resources almost for free". All that is needed is try to find a brainwashed being to cause unrest in your country. Please, be wary of your evil deeds. They might have made you richer BUT this time around we have to sign a memorandum of understanding for our land and its rich resources in dealing with you.

Continuous struggle...this time economic or both.. I urge the respected African Union to please hasten, though not too fast, the process of uniting African people so that we can speak and talk with the same voice. Start putting in place the uniting methods and materials. We are busy turning against each other in the name of whatever ideologies to satisfy whomever and forget about ourselves. I suggest the Swahili language to be spread to everywhere in Africa inorder to communicate with each other and forge a non-violent strong path to economic empowerement of us and use the Dominno Effect to accomplish that. Through genuine UNITY we can overcome the destructive external forces that be. I picture my self in future supporting African businesses be it fashion or hair salon, African restaurant,technology, art, music or whatever anywhere without showing any bureaucratic passport system. . " We must overcome the notion that we must be regular, it robs us of the chance to be extraordinary and leads us to the mediocre" Uta Hagen. My Africa..

See. This might be a bit out of topic but I feel I should squeeze it in here.Amnesty International has started advocacy in Europe about human rights in China before the Great Olympics as a weapon to cook up something to put proud China down. Once again the west's devilish criminal heads are reeling and desparate to ruin the fastest growing economy and hide their human abuses at home. The west's arrogance has become normalised and institutionalised, they can't even feel shame at all, not an inch. A British living in China has cautioned his cousins to please climb off their rude ivory empires and see things for themselves in China, not just spread lies. He says China has problems but not as exagerated by some people.He is happy there and never complained. Please Olympics is meant to unite the World, not the opposite. Mmmm...

This 'faceless west' thing is getting really old now ..... Not everyone who happens to live in a western nation is the sort of demonic, criminal and dire entity you describe, thats pure propaganda on your part in rallying the emotions of Africa against them.

Maybe we should all start pigeon holing nations like you seem to love doing .....

Are all Zimbabweans murdering thugs? No (5th Brigade) Are all Nigerians con men? No (619 scam is usually associated with certain locations in and around Nigeria)

So I'll ask again, would you please differentiate when you're making your 'evil west' comments?

"Would you please differentiate "evil west" comments". Listen, you weigh the dominant representing force against the weak. There are no two wests. One can think of US and Europe as one west, they are cousins. The other ones just happen to settle in the Native Indian land. Don't ignore history,it will haunt you.If you are saying not all are demonic,fine, but they are a minority where you perhaps belong, and statistically what does that mean? Insignificant factor. You follow a 95% confidence if you poll. Why don't you shout to your western leaders and say 'please stop abusing your diminishing powers'. You can't keep quite if you see your leaders abuse people of the World and think that you expect us to accept that you are not with your leaders. You are in denial, even calling it "faceless west", giving it that name on our behalf. We have our own name to give to it. You favour one hand Bible and the other hand Gun. You want to make us blind again.

Ok, I'll take this point by point:

""Would you please differentiate "evil west" comments". Listen, you weigh the dominant representing force against the weak. There are no two wests. One can think of US and Europe as one west, they are cousins. The other ones just happen to settle in the Native Indian land. Don't ignore history,it will haunt you.If you are saying not all are demonic,fine, but they are a minority where you perhaps belong, and statistically what does that mean? Insignificant factor. You follow a 95% confidence if you poll."

And what I'm saying is there are good and bad in every creed across the world ..... or do you think every single person that you term as 'Westerner' follows and agrees with what is said by their governments? What you have said there is an extremely narrow minded view of the world, and thats exactly how racist states are formed (Rhodesia for a start .... will Zimbabwe be any better than Rhodesia if the narrow minded 'faceless west haters' get their way? No it won't)

"Why don't you shout to your western leaders and say 'please stop abusing your diminishing powers'. You can't keep quite if you see your leaders abuse people of the World and think that you expect us to accept that you are not with your leaders."

So the anti Iraq war protests were just an illusion then ..... mind you, you probably think they were made up anyway because they happened in the west. There are people constantly shouting at our governments about their abuses and mismanagement.

"You are in denial, even calling it "faceless west", giving it that name on our behalf. We have our own name to give to it. You favour one hand Bible and the other hand Gun. You want to make us blind again."

I am in denial? I'm not living in a country where the economy, employment market, etc are down the pan because of the policies internal to Zimbabwe. And favouring one hand the bible and one hand the gun, lets see who I can think of that makes it an even playing field ..... Oh yes, the Catholic that claims only God may remove him (while shipping arms in from China ..... or trying to in the case of the cargo ship from a short while ago)

Timber, tourist in the west have been and are still discouraged from visiting Zimbabwe because it is 'not safe'? The fact is that Zimbabwe is a much safer place to visit than South Africa and many west African countries. Victoria Falls is even being promoted as being in South Africa? So how can you even talk about sancions targeting the Zimbabwean GOVERNMENT ONLY? The actions of the west and the mdc are are hurting ALL Zimbabweans!

"The actions of the west and the mdc are are hurting ALL Zimbabweans!"

Always looking for someone other than yourself to blame. The reason why people from the west dont want to visit Zimbabwe is purely because of the violence that exists as a result of Mugabe's intimidation, murder and torture of MDC supporters during the run off election. There is no other person to point your finger at than Mugabe.

Strange thing that, I haven't once seen Vic Falls promoted as part of South Africa ..... every time I've seen it advertised it has been along the lines of 'one of the great Zimbabwean attractions'. If you could let me know where you saw it billed as part of South Africa I can visit the website and have a good laugh at their stupidity.

Also yes, Zimbabwe has been listed as a risk for the tourist trade, and when you look at the posts of yourself as well as plenty of others on here shouting about turfing the 'whites out of Zimbabwe' is it that much of a surprise.

Would you honestly visit somewhere that from the comments of the supposed 'average Zimbabwean' would put you at personal risk? So your comment is invalid as you have already shown this to be a self fulfilling prophesy.

And now ask yourself why these actions are harming ALL Zimbabweans when the sanctions were up until very recently targetted ..... it's because the government, now having no huge foreign slush funds have had to steal even more from the country to feather their nests elsewhere. So while you're being obedient and looking where good ol' Bob tells you to, he can get away with just about anything.

Timberwolf, most of your kind who once lived like Kings in "Southern Rhodesia" must see a physcologist. Honestly, you lived in wonderland, where blacks served you tea and Called you "Bwana" and the worst thing was for Africans to have to agree to everything a white man said. What an illusion to live under? I can now tell you to simply get lost!!!

You quote statistics of a group of whites who constituted only 1 - 5% and called that success. Whaw.... How about the 95.5% of the population. I have met "white Rhodesians" in the UK and I have to say they are one of the most confused people in the world. It is time the silent majority begin to speak out. You Timberwolf feel intimidated by Black zimbabwean success stories, such as education or the reduction of HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe.

If thats what you honestly believe then I think it is you who needs the psychologist, I don't feel intimidated by Zimbabwean success stories, in fact I want to see more of them ..... the sad fact that you refuse to see is that it is the policies of ZANU PF that have caused the problems you see today.

Your problem is that you're still living in that past, and until you stop doing so, you will always be a slave to history. You talk as if I personally want to see Rhodesia back and a full colonial government in place ..... also not the case, as I have stated many times before, I want to see Zimbabwe back up to the state it was at in the 1980s ..... self sufficient and self reliant, I want to see the agricultural base built back up to the point where Zimbabwe once again can not only feed Zimbabweans but can also start exporting food again, same with the industrial base.

And now onto the points you mentioned about the successes ..... yes it is true that Zimbabwe has one of the highest literacy rates in Africa, but that has not prevented internal policies regarding the industrial and agricultural sectors driving unemployment to 80% or the economy into total meltdown. The HIV/AIDS side of things I couldn't possibly comment on without doing some serious research, but given that AIDS itself is a progressive and incurable illness (treatable with certain drugs I believe, but not curable) the only way that the numbers would fall are if 1: the spread was contained, which would certainly be a success or 2: if the sufferers were dying off quicker than new cases were being reported.

And you're right, you can simply tell me to get lost, as I can to you ..... man to man as equals, the way it should be. But to do that just for the sake of it, because of something our grandfathers or great grandfathers might have done would be ignorant and small minded. You don't see me shouting about throwing Italians out of the country because of the Roman invasion, or Nordic people out because of the Vikings do you? What you are saying may not be as far back in history, but essentially it is exactly the same ..... are you going to prove yourself better than those you replaced, or are you simply going to carry on blaming history for your woes?

After reading the article and the considerable number of comments, I would recommend that everyone go back to, and reread, the comments by FLORA. No rants nor raves, no racism, hyperbole, or deceit ~ just good clean common sense, put forth in a concise manner. William of Ockham would be proud.

If anyone thinks that FLORA’s thoughts are but unrealizable dreams, I direct your attention to Liberia, and it’s amazing progress under President Johnson-Sirleaf and the rest of the democratically elected government. Here was a country that 14 years of civil war brought to as close to complete destruction as can be done short of nuclear weapons, and it is rising like the fabled phoenix from the ashes of war to a stable, viable, and soon to be self sustaining, nation. They didn’t get there by whining and blaming the ‘west’, or anyone else ~ the government is made up of realists, and that involves getting to work to fix what is broken. Learn from the past, but you can not go forward while constantly looking back, for surely you will stumble.

Well said, and a point I've been trying to make for weeks without success ..... there are far too many here who are trapped in the past and can only see the wrongs of the past, and this blinds them to the present. The lessons of history should never be forgotten, and the wrongs of the past should never be allowed to recur, but people cannot allow themselves to be drawn into repeating or compounding the mistakes of the past and then try to justify it using history as an excuse.