*Not something you hear much about. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060814/wl_nm/zimbabwe_mugabe_dc HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe on Monday warned opponents not to hold anti-government protests, saying they should instead support efforts to end an eight-year economic recession. The main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) early this year called for street protests to force out Mugabe, who has ruled the southern African country since it gained independence from Britain in 1980. The MDC said unrest was driven by anger over the world's highest inflation rate of around 1,000 percent, unemployment of more than 70 percent and shortages of fuel, food and foreign currency. The opposition blames the crisis on the government. Mugabe in April vowed to crush any protests, and there have been no significant public demonstrations so far. "Let them be reminded that we will not brook any of their illegal challenges to lawful authority in their quest for cheap publicity," he told thousands on Monday at a gathering to honor veterans of Zimbabwe's liberation war in the 1970s. "Instead of calling for illegal sanctions that have hurt our ordinary people, the so-called opposition should play a more responsible role that is supportive of national development." Mugabe accuses Britain of leading a Western onslaught against Harare as punishment for the government's seizures of white-owned farms for blacks. He has branded opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and the MDC puppets of the West. "(We) should continue to sternly chastise the misguided political elements in our midst, who with brazen impudence, have turned themselves into active accomplices of foreign-sponsored conspiracies against their motherland, all for the love of pieces of silver," Mugabe said. Zimbabwe's economy has shrunk more than 40 percent in eight years, and thousands have fled abroad for better jobs. But the 82-year-old leader said the economy had weathered sanctions by Britain, the United States and other Western nations and would rebound in step with improved agricultural output and the support of African and Asian countries. "Let me ... thank all our international partners for supporting us in various ways through a time of undeserved ostracism and unjustified smear campaigns orchestrated by the (British Prime Minister Tony) Blair and (U.S. President George W.) Bush regimes," Mugabe said. "With their support we have withstood the sanctions hardships and managed to begin the positive turnaround of our economy." Mugabe repeated a warning to black farmers who benefited from the controversial land seizures against underutilizing land, saying the government would repossess the farms. "We now need to distinguish capable and committed farmers from holders of land who are mere chancers and who should be made to seek opportunities elsewhere. We will repossess that land from you," said Mugabe adding the country should not rely on food aid.
Unless you live in the UK. It's crazy what Mugabe is getting away with over there. Havinbg taken control of the land way from the white farmers and has distributed it among his supporters who have no clue how to use it, the people of Zimbabwe are the only ones who will suffer.
That was once a british colony...which amazes me...because you guys were everywhere. I think Mugabe's a clear example of what's going on in Africa, and one of the huge reasons the average person is not moving forward. They have the resource easily. Some people think there's a shitload of oil there...
This is a pretty good article giving a rundown on what's happening out there, http://www.cfr.org/publication/7992/lyman.html On a side note my Grandad met Mugabe back in the late 80's He was a University dean in Harare, he said the guy was immensely dislikable even back then.
Or South Africa. And why should that amaze you? England did control most of the world at one point. England Prevail! Kinda true, but it's more complex than that. Lol, most African countries don't have the resources And the countries that do have oil (I think they're more in the central, don't quote me on that though) are probably being raped by foreign oil companies, not that that suprises me...
Anytime a government forcebly takes something that belongs to someone and give it to someone else, I'd say its communism; but water it down if you must (edited, my grammar sucks today) More edits... Africa, as a continent, is totally sad. It has the world's most adundant resources - across the board. If people would get over their 5000 year old hatreds and actually make something work together, Africa would be a force in the world, not the joke it is. I have a real hard time feeling sorry for people who live here. The situation sucks, but no one does anything to improve it. And what's worse, is the constant feeding of money to the "governments" over there only makes the problems worse, by encouraging short term takeovers by dictators to cashin; then get overthrown so the next guy can cashin. It's a joke.
Communism is about equality, not giving property from one owner to the next owner....there are no owners in communism. So therefore it can't be communism.