Better Late than never...Rice Says 'Past Time' For Mugabe To Go

By Innocent Chia (With parts culled from npr.com).

United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said this Friday (12/5/08) that it is "well past time" for Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe to leave office. The tipping point or last straw that broke the camels back and has beckoned the outcry of the international community, via the condemnation of Condoleeza Rice, is the nation's calamitous cholera epidemic and health care crisis. Although many observers and afflicted Zimbabweans see this condemnation as a step in the right direction towards salvation, there is equally surprise that there is not intrepid action to root out Mugabe. Either way, there is a strong sense, in general, that even the lame duck administration of George Bush has looked at Africa with a lot of favor and that no less fervor is expected from an Obama administration.

Rice said the country experienced "a sham election," followed by a sham sharing of power. Speaking in the Copenhagen, Denmark, she said the current outbreak of cholera in the country should be a sign to the international community that it is time to stand up to Mugabe, who, at age 84, has been in power since 1980.

"If this is not evidence to the international community to stand up for what is right, I don't know what would be. And frankly the nations of the region have to do it," she said. The nations in southern Africa have the most to lose and need to take the lead, she said.

Already throwing the proverbial stones at Mugabe was the Prime Minister of Kenya, Raila Odinga, himself beneficiary of national and international pressure that resulted in a coalition government with  President Mwai Kibaki. In a statement that has been considered so far as the strongest by an African leader, Prime Minister Odinga called on African governments to "push him (Mugabe) out of power".

It is not entirely surprising for Raila Odinga to be showing the world that he has the balls to tell Mugabe what time of day it is. He is, afterall, said to be the cousin of US President-Elect Barack Obama. It does come with its perks; an alarm bell to those who think that Africa is too far and too dark to be occupy any meaningful space on the mind of an American President. You can consider Raila Odinga to be all eyes and ears for his cousin or Luo tribesman.

Mugabe has stood up several times in the recent past and lambasted world leaders not sympathetic to his oppressive regime. Even as at now, he continues imploring God on the side of Zimbabweans, as if his reckless acts and inhumane behavior are all the work of God. In a recent social conversation with a UN worker that is based in Zimbabwe, she told me that Mugabe is nothing less than the devil incarnate who seems to be deriving pleasure from the pain and suffering of his countrymen.

She talked about Zimbabweans lining up infront of Banks as early as 3.00am to cash .50 cents, an amount not even enough to buy a loaf of bread - finding the bread is another story.

Zimbabwe declared a national emergency over a cholera epidemic and the collapse of its health care system, and state media reported Thursday the government is seeking more international help to pay for food and drugs to combat the crisis.

"It's well past time for Robert Mugabe to leave, that's now obvious," Condoleeza Rice said. "There has been a sham election, there was a sham power-sharing. We are now seeing the humanitarian toll."

The truth, Madam outgoing-Secretary and in-coming Secretary Hillary Clinton, is that every "democratically" elected President in Africa owes their victory to sham elections. That is why they are unable to raise a finger at Mugabe. Their hands are as soiled. So, the question on every lip: what do we do? What action will the community of nations and world leaders take against these armed robbers in Executive suites?

Comments

[Ndim Bernard Nguoche]

Africa has failed and sham elections due to a faulty clause on the UN Charter tagged the Sovereignty Clause. This so called clause has rendered most African leaders to become so reckless and inhuman. They kill and maim in the purported name of State authority and respect of the fundamental laws of the land. I do not see any reason why such brutes should not be arrested and dragged to court for Murder, man slaughter and genocide.If the president of Sudan can be indicted for genocide and abuse of power by the International court, then the likes of Biya, Omar Bongo, Denis Sasso Ngueso, Laurant Nkunda, Joseph Kabilla, Yoweri Mussoveni and a host of others should be tried and slaughtered.