AfricaBlog: Mugabe, Hero Archives

October 27, 2003

Mugabe, Hero

Here's an article in The Spectator detailing how Robert Mugabe is the darling of the African intelligensia. Prosperous upper middle class Africans have bought into the "redistribution" of white farms as some sort of cosmic payback for years of oppression. 400 percent inflation? Famine? Why, he's just breaking a few eggs. Sad, indeed.

The scariest part is the ubiquitous Osama and Saddam graffiti throughout sub-Saharan Africa. At one point I thought it necessary to differentiate between the ills of Islamic Africa, including sub-Saharan Nigeria and Mali, and the ills of the kleptocracies to the south. It appears the non-Islamic nations are quite willing to be the pawns of anti-Western Islamism. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, you know.

Posted by Velociman at October 27, 2003 07:33 PM

Comments

It bears pointing out a certain irony in all this. Middle class Zimbabweans are, overwhelmingly, opposed to Mugabe and his policies. Witness the fact that ZANU-PF has lost almost all of its urban support and has been reduced, for the most part, to a rural peasant movement. The African intelligentsia may support Mugabe, the Zimbabwean intelligentsia does not..

Posted by: Andrew Black at October 28, 2003 04:07 AM

It is not a news report. It is an opinion piece. One I dont agree with. I live in Sub-Saharan Africa, and I have 'never' seen Osama or Saddam graffiti.

And yes, please distinguish between Islamic Africa, including sub-Saharan Nigeria and Mali, and the ills of the kleptocracies to the south.

What would be even nicer is if you perhaps distinguished between countries? Romania and England are both in Europe. You'd hardly throw them in the same boat would you?

Posted by: Richard at November 3, 2003 06:00 AM

I'm sorry, Richard. I didn't call it a news report. I called it an article. I personally don't care if you've never seen an Osama or Saddam graffiti pic. This writer obviously did. And I DO distinguish between countries, but this IS Africablog, not Maliblog. And the only time I lump European countries together is when they ALL SIT BY TOGETHER for 5 years and watch genocide occur in their backyard (again), like they did in the former Yugoslavia.

Posted by: Velociman at November 4, 2003 08:31 PM

Fair enough. Im not denying there might be. But you said that Osama and Sadam graffiti is 'ubiquitious' throughout sus-Saharan Africa. Surely I would have seen some in that case?

Sorry, Velociman, Im not trying to bust your balls, but I do have a problem with somehow breaking up the problems of Africa into Islamic North and Klepto South. It is the same problem I guess I have with lumping all the problems of Africa together. Its only usefull up to a very limited point.

To say that non-Islamic african nations are the willing pawns of anti-Western Islamism is going far beyond that point.

Posted by: Richard at November 6, 2003 01:09 AM

I am a hobo in the house of the lord.

Posted by: Wilson Sari at February 28, 2004 10:06 AM