Zimbabwe Information Center in N

Letter from America

May 26, 2008

Robert Mugabe is an increasingly demented dictator

It is very difficult nowadays to take Zimbabwe’s aging dictator Robert Mugabe’s utterances very seriously.

Mugabe’s recent outburst was his threat to expel United States ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr. James McGee, for what he called meddling in Zimbabwe’s political process.

In an obvious lack of diplomatic decency, Mugabe unashamedly said secretary of state for African affairs Jendayi Frazer was running around like a prostitute.

This underscores suspicions by many people that Mugabe is now demented.

And what was Ambassador McGee’s crime?

He and Dr. Frazer told the truth about what is happening in the country.

Evidence of the endemic violence Ambassador McGee and Dr. Frazer talked about is there for everyone to see.

As a matter of fact, Ambassador McGee said it was Mugabe himself who had invited the ambassador to take a tour to see for himself the situation in the country.

Ambassador McGee also said he had been invited to present to the government whatever evidence he may have had of allegations of violence.

Ambassador McGee had subsequently done his own investigations and had visited victims of violence as well as determined that almost all of it had been perpetrated by Mugabe’s own youth militia thugs and war veterans.

Ambassador McGee said he had made every effort to verify the information he had received.

It was only after he had satisfied himself that the evidence he received had substantive grounds on the instigation, and involvement, by ZANUPF that Ambassador McGee presented this evidence to the Mugabe regime.

Ambassador McGee did what Mugabe would never dare to do. Mr. McGee visited victims of the politically-motivated violence and listened to their narration of their experiences.

He saw people who had been savagely beaten, had their limbs broken, large chunks of flesh gouged out. In contrast, Mugabe never visited a single victim of violence.

Had any member of ZANUPF been truly and savagely assaulted, Mugabe would have used the occasion to berate the MDC.

It is very doubtful that any Zimbabweans, except for a few cronies, believe the ranting of this senile dictator.

Mugabe very conveniently forgot that the same Ambassador McGee he is threatening to expel represents a country, the USA, that has, more than any other countries, pledged and delivered the most humanitarian assistance.

One in every five Zimbabweans is receiving food aid from the United States.

Ambassador McGee said that, as of September last year, the United States had donated $170 million in food aid. In addition, the United States donated $5 million in non food assistance.

Total USA aid for the fight against HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe increased to $31 million.

This money from the United States is not a loan. But simply a handout to help the embattled Zimbabweans.

This handout is product of tireless efforts by, among others, Ambassador McGee, his predecessor, Ambassador Christopher Dell, as well as Dr. Jendayi Frazer.

Yet Mugabe and ZANUPF are biting the very same hand that feeds the nation.

Zimbabweans hope that Ambassador McGee will ignore Mugabe’s outburst as well as refuse to be silenced from talking about the current wave of atrocities that are being perpetrated by Mugabe’s thugs.

The former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, once said that in order for evil to triumph it is necessary for good men and women to stay silent.

Mugabe would prefer that the whole world was like South African President Thabo Mbeki who has absolutely refused to condemn the politically-motivated violence that has now claimed over 50 supporters of the MDC, as well as injuring thousands others..

It boggles one’s mind that Mugabe handpicked Ambassador McGee for criticism when the rest of the world is saying exactly the same thing Mr. McGee has pointed out.

One can only conclude that in his politically dying days Mugabe is panicking.

Zimbabweans, and indeed the whole world, have turned against him. Even his friends among the African leaders are having second thoughts about the blanket protection they have historically given Mugabe.

It is clearly evident that Mugabe is increasingly being isolated. He is desperately trying one trick after another to win the run-off elections.

But Mugabe has had a rude awakening from the resilience of the Zimbabweans.

He thought that he could beat, torture and kill some of them into submission and supporting him at the next run-off election.

But deep down in his heart Mugabe is aware he is headed for a humiliating defeat.

All the Zimbabweans who have been tortured and savagely assaulted are more determined to vote Mugabe out of office.

In a classic reflection of a confused mind, Mugabe has now sent his women cronies, Joyce Mujuru, and his wife, Grace, to give food handouts to the very same people his thugs have so savagely assaulted.

The same ZANUPF thugs are now rebuilding some of the houses they torched.

All of this is a big public relations attempt to somehow win the support of the people Mugabe has so callously victimized. He knows that beating and torturing people has been counterproductive.

But the message from the people of Zimbabwe to Mugabe is unequivocally clear.

Enough is enough.

Sokwanele.

Zvakwana.

And singer Thomas Mapfumo captured the mood of the people very well in his song Asingade.

On June 27 Zimbabweans will undoubtedly vote overwhelmingly to get rid of Mugabe.

And this concludes today’s Letter from America. Thank you for listening and let us meet again next time.