Mark Huband on "Dizzy worms in Zimbabwe"

Mark Huband — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 15:57:59 +0000

Michael's proposal for a recovery programme that can be promised to Zimbabwe's population before - in the words of President Mugabe - that population is "bashed" even more, has the qualities that it is a shame were not evident when the current crisis began half a decade ago.

By appealing to and identifying with the people in this way - at a time when their determination to confront their tormentor is increasingly evident - the donor community might avoid falling into the trap Mr Mugabe laid for them when they tried to take him on during the seizure of farms. At that time the ruling party was able - with some justification - to turn the issue into a black-white issue.

As is now clear, the issue was always really about politics and democracy. But measures that make it clear that international pressure and action of a kind which is unambiguously focused on all the people of Zimbabwe - as Michael's suggestions are - would deny the ruling party the opportunity to claim this is yet another example of foreigners favouring 'white farmers'. The British government certainly fell into this trap when these issues first arose.

Now is the time to promote solutions which will favour Zimbabwe as a whole, but which can also be presented in a way which will not permit the regime to counter with accusations of racial bias. This is not an easy task, but it would seem that there are few alternatives when the regime's head is an intelligence man with the political experience of Robert Mugabe.

Dizzy worms in Zimbabwe, Michael Holman

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Robert Mugabe’s despotic rule has brought Zimbabwe to its knees. An emergency recovery programme, coordinated by the Commonwealth and made accessible to Zimbabweans at home and abroad, could become a catalyst for change, writes Michael Holman. Read the rest of this post...

open Democracy News Analysis - Dizzy worms in Zimbabwe, Michael Holman - Comments

Mark Huband on "Dizzy worms in Zimbabwe"

Dizzy worms in Zimbabwe, Michael Holman